The Future's Touch
by littlehouse4evr
Summary: With just one touch, Bella can see someone's entire future. Living in a city, it becomes too much, so she moves back to the place she was born in, Forks. She doesn't know why she has the power, so when she meets a certain golden-eyed group of vampires she may finally get the explanation she needs, and maybe fall in love at the same time...
1. Chapter 1

**The idea for this story, and the plot, belongs to gaara king of the sand. Thanks to them for letting me write this story! **

I step nervously out of my father's car, looking up at the small two story house. Having hated this place for years, it's hard for me to admit that I might be happier here than I was in Phoenix. But it's the truth, and it's all because of my power.

As I think of it I nervously tug the sleeves of my shirt over my hands. In Phoenix it was always too hot for gloves to be acceptable, but here it might be cold enough to wear them most of the time. I just need to buy them first, or borrow a pair from my dad. "You okay Bella?" Charlie asks, spying my nervous movements.

I smile slightly in response. "I'm fine." He doesn't know about my power; no one does.

Looking back up at the house, I think of what drove me here in the first place...

"Bella!" My mother called, "Your friend is here!"

I ran down the stairs, taking them two at a time. My friend, Louise, was waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs with my mother. We were going to the local cafe to talk before school on Monday. "Hi," I greeted her, and she grinned, pulling me into a hug. Before I could tug the sleeves of my cardigan over my hands, my palms made contact with the bare skin of her back, digging into the thin straps of her vest. I bit back a whimper as her entire life flashed before my eyes.

_For the next two years everything is fine, she goes through school and passes her exams with flying colours. At twenty years old she gets engaged to John Dawson, her current boyfriend. At twenty one her father dies of a heart attack. Just after she turns twenty two her mother kills herself. At twenty three she is diagnosed with lung cancer, and gets married a month later. She has one child just before she turns twenty four, and dies seven months later. _

She has seven years left. I blinked back tears as she pulled out of the hug. "Are you okay?" Louise asked, looking at me with worry.

"Fine," I answered, wiping my eyes. "Allergies."

My mother gave me a questioning look; I didn't have allergies. "Hay fever," I said to her, and she nodded. I had that when I was little, so it's a plausible excuse. "Let's go," I said after a moment, turning to Louise. She smiled, and waved to my mother before following me out the front door.

From what I've noticed with my power, is that when I see someone dying of an illness, there future seldom changes after that. The last time I saw her future, which was roughly a year ago, she died old with _great __grandchildren_ living down the road. She still married John, and he died only a week before her. The future changes as people grow up, depending on decisions. Sometimes I wish it would stay the same. In fact, I wish it would stay the same most of the time. Louise's future was happy before.

"Bella?" Louise's voice pulled me out of my reverie. "What would you like?"

I looked up at her and found myself in Starbucks. I didn't remember entering, or walking up to the cashier (who was John), but I answered her anyway. "Uh, hot chocolate please. I'll go find a table."

Walking over to an empty table for two, I looked up at Louise talking to John. The place was practically empty, so they weren't holding anyone up by standing there and talking. After a few minutes he stood up properly and went to make her coffee and my hot chocolate.

I got up to collect my drink, thinking that they would want to continue talking. "Sorry Bella," Louise said as I approached. "I'll come and sit with you."

"No no," I replied, smiling as John made her coffee. "It's fine. You guys continue talking if you want; I brought my laptop so I'll just do some homework."

"One hot chocolate," John grinned, handing it to me. I smiled back, but that that smile froze as our hands brushed against each other.

_His future is almost the same as Louise's. He finds out he's adopted, and then finds that both his parents killed themselves just after he was born. He comforts her through her ordeals, and looks after his son for months after he dies. But he can't live without her, so one day he drops his son off at his adoptive parents' house and then goes back home. He is found by his father a few hours later, hanging from the ceiling. _

He had eight years left. Again I blinked back tears, but not even ten seconds had passed since our hands brushed.

I _hate_ my power. I hate it.

I walked back over to my seat, sitting quietly and staring at the window, holding the cup in both my hands. It was almost unbearably hot, but I didn't put it down. Looking back at Louise and John, I smiled at the though that they'd have each other, at least, and that I know they will treat each other well. It's small moments like these that I am vaguely happy I was cursed with the power of seeing one's entire future with just one touch. At least it's contained to my palms.

My power is how I know my mother's new husband, Phil, is good for her. The first time I met him he shook my hand, and the way he died warmed my heart ever so slightly. He was lying in bed, asleep, with a picture of my mother on the table next to him. He was very old, and it was only because of that did he never wake up again.

But the picture of my mother worried me. In it, she didn't look much older than she does in the present. My mother's personality means that her future is ever changing. She changes her mind constantly, so hers and Phil's future flit between dying together, and dying very far apart.

"Hey Bella," Louise said as she sat in front of me. "Allergies?"

I wiped the tears away, nodding. "It's getting worse."

It's not true. I don't have hay fever anymore. My power is getting worse. I can't avoid the future anymore. The problem is, I can't see my own future, so it constantly feels like I'm too trapped in the futures of others to concentrate on my own. Maybe I need to set a new path for myself.

Living in a city didn't help. There were so many ways for someone to die. Drugs, alcohol, guns, gangs, murder, suicide... I needed to escape. "Hey Louise," I murmured, and my friend turned from the window. "I was thinking of moving in with my dad for a little while. I haven't seen him since the summer."

"Doesn't your dad live in Washington?"

"Yes."

"But it's so far away!"

"I know," I answered. "But he's my dad." I refrained from thinking about how she will only have her dad for about four more years at most. "I don't get to see him much anymore."

"That's not exactly your fault, Bella," Louise reminded me, and I barely contained a flinch. "You're the one who refused to visit him because you _hate_ that place."

_But I hate my power more, and I hate what I know about you._ "I know," I repeated, my tone holding no emotion. "I know."

"Have you spoken to your mother about this?" She asked, and her eyes widened when I shook my head. "Why not?"

"I just thought of it," I replied truthfully. "Just because I hate where he lives, it doesn't mean I hate _him._"

She sighed, looking at like I was mad. "But you understand that living with him means you have to live where he does? He's the chief of police, as much as I know he loves you, he can't just drop everything and live here with you."

"I know," I repeated for what felt like the tenth time. "I know I'd have to live there. But I don't see him much anymore, and I'd like to before senior year."

"So you're actually going to live there?" She leaned forward, but didn't lower her voice. John seemed to be staring at us. "Like, move schools and everything? In the _middle of the year_? You're going to leave your life, and your childhood behind you?"

"Yes," I answered with conviction. It would be worth it, if I could escape so many horrific deaths. In a small town, there can't be so many ways that someone could die. Hopefully there will be less gangs and drugs, especially with a chief of police looking after me. "I think it's worth it. He's getting old, who knows how much longer he'll be around."

Eleven years, to be exact. He dies of cancer. These things seldom change.

Louise paused for a moment. I waited for her answer. "Is this something you've been thinking about for a while?"

No. "Yes."

"Then I'll miss you," She whispered, tears in her eyes. "I'll really miss my crazy, selfless best friend who does my homework for me."

I laughed, wiping my own tears away. "It's not allergies this time," I told her. She grinned.

"I should hope you'd cry over leaving your life behind, you robot," Louise accused.

Laughing, I took her hand in mine. "If that's your way of telling me not to go, then it's not working."

"Damn," She said, in a sarcastic tone, chuckling through the tears. I stood and so did she. We hugged, and not a week later, we were saying goodbye.

When I spoke to my mother about it, she didn't understand. She hated Forks more than me, and considering she left Charlie because of that place, she didn't understand my desire to go there and see him, let alone live with him. Over and over again she tried to convince me not to go, only conceding when I said I would use my college fund to buy a plane ticket to get there. She wouldn't let that happen, so she bought the ticket for me. I would still have to spend my college fund on a car once I got there, but I didn't mention that.

"I'll miss you," She cried once we were in the airport, pulling me into a hug. I was still undecided, so when my palms made contact with the bare skin of her back I saw two different futures. If I stayed, I would witness her death as she fell down the stairs, as she's be staying at home with me while Phil was travelling. If I left, she would be travelling with Phil, and he would keep her safe.

That made my decision for me.

"I'll miss you too," I murmured into her shoulder, clinging onto her now that I had seen her future. "I'll really miss you."

"Then don't go," She tried to convince me again. I groaned, pulling out of the hug so I could look her in the eye.

"I miss dad too," I said forcefully. My mother frowned.

"But he hasn't been much of a father to you, Bella," She replied.

I was angry at that; as much as she wanted me to stay, that was hitting below the belt. "That's not his fault," I growled out, staring at her in defiance. "That's on us. You for leaving him, and me for not going back." My gate number sounded overhead, telling passengers for the _ten past twelve flight to Seattle_ _to please bored their flight_. "Bye," I said again. "I love you."

"I love you too," She whispered, waving to me as I walked away. Tears streamed down my face as I did. Maybe it wasn't worth it.

"Here you go," Charlie says, and I look up to find him holding my bags and holding the front door open for me. "Welcome home."

No one has ever said that to me before. Because of my mother's many different boyfriends, her house always felt more like a Bed and Breakfast rather than a home. "Home sounds nice," I said to my father, my voice truthful. I smiled, and stepped inside.

_Welcome to Forks, _I thought to myself.


	2. Chapter 2

**The idea for this story, and the plot, belongs to gaara king of the sand. Thanks to them for letting me write this story! Twilight belongs to SM.**

"You ready for your new school already, Bells?" Charlie asks as he trudges down the stairs to find me already awake and making him breakfast.

I shrug without a word, aware of his eyes on my back. "I wanted to make sure I was ready."

After serving him Charlie wolfs down his breakfast, says a quick goodbye to me and dashes out the door to go to work. I sigh before sliding the rest of my bacon and scrambled eggs into the bin. Truthfully, I want to get to school early and possibly hide for a little bit. If I'm there when it's practically empty then I'll get used to the crowds as they arrive.

Or at least I hope so.

Walking out the front door I stand in front of the almost angry looking red truck my dad bought me. He gave it to me last night, and even though it wasn't said I think it was from my dad's friends - the Blacks - as well. Billy Black's son, Jacob, is a lot... taller than I remember. Although, I haven't seen him for a few years.

Sighing, I decide to walk past the vehicle. I have no doubt the engine will be loud, as it's quite old. I don't want to draw too much attention to myself.

I want to be normal.

But that's impossible.

The school is further than I thought, and after a while my feet start to hurt. My gloved hands become hot and sweaty under the plain black fabric but I refuse to take them off.

I can be normal here, but only if I try to be.

When (finally) I can see the school, students are already crowding the place in dull coloured rain coats like blue, brown and black ants. A shiver runs down my spine as I stare at them. A lot of the girls look like... huggers. Ugh. The worst kind of people.

For me, anyway.

But despite my fear, I manage to slip unnoticed into the crowds; keeping my head down. Looking around I find myself glad I walked, despite the stickiness I can still feel coating my palms and my back, as most of the cars are similar. Old, rusty and beat up. But they're all cars, and almost always silver and black, a long way off from my faded red truck.

Just as the bell rings a shiny silver Volvo races into the lot, smoothly turning into a tiny space in one try. No one takes any notice but me, so it must at least a daily occurrence. I keep staring as everyone else files away to their lessons. I keep staring as the owners of the car climb out. The moment I see their faces, however, I look away.

They are breathtakingly and utterly beautiful. I only saw two boys and a blonde girl, but that was enough. They're clearly not normal, and I can't handle that. I need normal. They're the opposite of normal. No one looks like that. No one can drive like that.

I must stay away from them.

Once again looking at the ground, I hurry to the office to get my schedule. It's soon in my hands and I'm making my way to my first lesson. Maths. When I walk into the building all talking stops and everyone - literally _everyone -_ turns to look at me. Oh God... "I'm Bella Swan," I turn and say to the teacher with as much confidence as I can muster with at least twenty people tracking my every move. "I'm new."

The teacher gives a complacent sort of "Hmm." Before holding his hand out for my slip. I hand it over wordlessly and he signs it and gives it back in the same fashion. He then starts the lesson without guiding me to a seat, so I just stand there awkwardly until I spot a spare seat at the back. When I sit down I pull my gloves off quickly.

Bad idea.

"Hi, I'm Mike Newton," The blonde boy next to me says enthusiastically, grabbing my hand without asking and shaking it roughly. "You must be Isabella."

_He goes through high school, just barely escaping repeating senior year. Unfortunately he spends a lot of his time fawning over me, but I appear to be with the same group of people every time he looks over. Not enough decisions have been made to determin who those poeple are, though. After college, he marries Jessica Stanley and becomes an English teacher at this very school. When they're twenty five, Jessica gives birth to twin girls and is unable to have any more children. At fourty five years old he stays late at the office and on his way home gets killed by a drunk driver. _

I curse under my breath as he lets go of his hand. Another thing I _despise_ about my power is that whenever I meet someone new, I learn so many things about them that I have no right to know about. My own evasiveness disgusts me.

But what I really hate most it that there is no else like me.

"I'm Bella," I reply curtly, turning towards the teacher and his lecture.

Thinking over this Mike Newton's future I grin as I realise that this boy has potential for a very long life. There are so many decisions involving his death that anything could easily be changed. The man who kills him may decide not to drink that day. Mike might decide not to stay late at the office. Mike may not even become an English teacher.

He could be anything.

The lesson ends sooner than I think possible, and suddenly I'm sitting in History, still thinking about Mike's future. Maybe I'll find a way to change it myself. Maybe it won't change.

But it _might_.

No one really cares that I keep my gloves on for the rest of the day. In fact I see some others with gloves on too. Much more obvious gloves. Jessica Stanley (who is in my English class) way wearing fingerless white gloves with diamonds around the wrist.

I'm still grinning as I step into the cafeteria and sit down with Angela, a kind girl in my English class. For the first time in months, I find myself enjoying myself. I laugh with people, not just absently when I find them laughing at something I wasn't paying attention to. Finally, I have friends who I don't have to worry about dying in seven years. I'm happy.

But my smile fades as the people I last wanted to see stride almost inhumanely gracefully into the cafeteria. There is another boy and another girl this time.

It's _them._


	3. Chapter 3

**The idea and plot of this story belongs to gaara king of the sand. Thanks to them for letting me write this story! Twilight belongs to SM. **

I look away from the immediately, sinking low in my seat. "Are you okay?" Angela inquires, noticing my stressed expression. I nod my head without a word and then look back at _them_.

"Who are they?" I ask Angela, nodding to them. But it's Jessica who answers. Her expression is strange as she begins, looking jealous and in awe at the same time.

"They're the Cullens," She giggles, biting her lip as she looks over at them. Angela and I exchange a glance. "They're all incredibly hot, and all adopted. The parents are the same - minus the adopted part - but they don't really talk to people."

I nod, processing it. "That's nice of them, to take in so many children."

"Yes," Jessica agrees, but then her expression becomes haughty, her tone morphing to match. "But I don't think Mrs Cullen can have any children, though."

As if that lessened their kindness.

"And," She whispers, leaning forward conspiratorially. "They're all together. Like, _together_ together. Alice and Jasper, Rosalie and Emmett. It's weird."

"Only Rosalie and Jasper are blood related Jess, it's not incest," Angela comments, rolling her eyes. At my confused expression she leans forward and informs me,"Jasper and Rosalie are the blonds, uh, Alice is the little one and Emmett is the huge one."

I dare myself to look back at them again. Sure enough there are two blonds, one with an arrogant, yet slightly bored expression and one who looks like someone is digging a dagger into his knee under the table. The other two are there as well. A small excitable looking girl is bouncing in her seat, but still somehow seems to be watching Jasper out of the corner of her eye. Then, Emmett, who has the kind of appearance of someone who looks down on others, but also has the soft expression of someone who cares very deeply. Dazed by the man and his varying dispositions, I look away only to catch sight of another boy sitting at the table.

His hair is an odd shade of red, yet still brown. It's almost bronze, really. Even though he's turned slightly away from me, I can still make out the chiseled jaw and his dark eyes glinting against the harsh light. Someone giggles, and I turn to see Jessica grinning a Cheshire cat worthy grin at me. Angela (once again) rolls her eyes at her friend.

"That's Edward Cullen," Angela clarifies, nodding over to the boy in question.

"Completely single and gorgeous of course," Jessica adds, rather loudly I might add. "Although... Clearly none of the girls _here _are good enough for him."

Glacing back at the Cullen table, Edward is looking away from us, but his cheek appears lifted, as if he's smiling, but no one's talking.

As if, he _heard_.

My immediate thought is that he can't of, but looking down at my gloved hands I change my mind. Magical powers aren't meant to be possible... So what's supernatural hearing compared to that?

I look back over at them, and I find Edward staring at _me._ His expression is expectant, as if I'm meant to do or say something. Maybe he's expecting the new girl to throw herself at him.

Sorry to disappoint you, Cullen. Not going to happen.

The table becomes my new best friend for the rest of lunch. The Cullens aren't normal, far from it, so I must stay away from them. I don't doubt that anything is possible, but I exiled myself here for normality. I need to stay away from them.

Just as I'm being tempted to look back at the strange collection of teenagers, the bell rings. 'Saved by the bell!' I sing in my head, rising from my chair.

Mike leads me to biology as he shares it with me and Angela, who trails behind us slightly, her nose stuck in a text book. When we enter the room, there are only three seats left. "Woah," Mike breaths quietly. "I totally forgot. Guess you'll be sitting next to Cullen. Good luck."

I grimace as I walk towards the front of the class, watching out of the corner of my eye as Edward Cullen himself clears what will soon be my side of the desk.

So much for staying away from them.

As I near his desk I trip, catching myself on a desk; the girl sitting there giggles. Giving her a 'sorry' look, I continue to the front of the class. Glacing back at Edward as I hand Mr Banner my slip, I see him sat rigid in his chair, gripping the table tightly with one hand while the other one is clenched in a fist. I catch sight of Mike, suddenly thinking of his future. So much potential, I remind myself. But then... Louise. Seven years. Only seven years left.

Don't think about that.

Mr Banner hands me my slip back, and I thank him quietly before taking my time to sit next to Edward. Once I'm sat down he stiffens even more (is that even possible?) and glares at me with almost animalistic intensity. With fear written all over my face, I'm sure, I rip my eyes away from him. But not before I see him move his bare hands away from me as I set my gloves ones on the desk.

Oh dear God.

_He. Knows. _

No. I try and dispel the thought as quickly as it comes, but it's determined to stay put. Besides, what if it is true? What if he can read minds or something and just heard me thinking of my power? What if he thinks I like my power? I was just thinking of ways to manipulate Mike's future.

Or rather, his death.

Stop it, I command myself. Edward is still glaring at me, his black eyes glinting against the light. His hands are under the desk now...

_He knows. He knows. He knows He knows. _

He doesn't.

He does.

Oh my God.

It can't be that. Maybe he just has a really sensitive nose and I smell funny. Or maybe he has panic disorder and new people make him anxious. I mean, unless he can read minds or can somehow tell I have a power by looking at me... There's no way he could know.

Hah. Reading minds. What crap. As if.

His hands are back on the table. They're still quite far away from me, but at least he's not glaring at me. Instead he is staring ahead with unfocused eyes as if he's concentrating hard on something and it's causing him great pain. It's like this for the rest of the lesson, and every now and then I try and look at him through my hair as sneakily as I can. But even though he's not looking at me, I feel as though he somehow knows I'm looking at him; I always look away.

When the bell signals the end of the lesson, he's the first one out of his seat.

A shiver runs down my spine uncontrollably. Everyone else is packing their bags, giving me time to think. Maybe this is normal behaviour for the Cullens. Jessica did say they don't talk to people, and he's had the desk to himself almost all year. Maybe all the Cullens are like this...

Maybe it's normal. I hope so.

"Did you stab Cullen with a pencil or what?" Mike demands, appearing behind me.

Oh, so it not normal at all. Thanks a lot Mike, I did not need to know that.

Shrugging my reply we exit the classroom with Angela. Gym is next, but I don't have to change for it as it's my first day. The entire lesson turns out to be a lecture on the rules and places of basketball. But soon the hour is up and I'm entering the parking lot on my own. Sighing as I walk past the empty spot only one thought enters my mind.

The Volvo is already gone.

For a moment I look around for my car, and then remember the walk I made here. Gritting my teeth against the cold, even though not two feet away a group of boys are standing in t-shirts without coats, I button up my own coat and begin my journey home. It's just as grueling as the walk _to _school, and by the time I guess I'm half way home I swear a silver Volvo races past me, but it's going so fast that it's already out of sight by the time I register I saw it.

Charlie is already home by the time I step through the front door, and he's in front of me immediately. "What happened to you?"

"I walked to school," I grind out, still shivering slightly from the cold. "It's freezing."

He frowns for a moment before stepping into the open doorway behind me. A moment later he's back in front of me, having shut the front door softly. "It's not..." He murmurs as he takes in my buttoned-up coat and my still-gloved hands before smiling slightly. "Still used to Phoenix, hey Bells?"

"Well I only got here yesterday," I retort, smiling in spite of myself.

He reaches out and ruffles my hair. I cringe against it, but don't throw him off. "Go get some rest Bella."

"Okay," I mutter, making my way for the stairs. Once in my room I take off my shoes, my coat, and, finally, my gloves. The cool air hits the palms of my hands and I sigh in relief as they begin to cool down.

"Bella!" Charlie calls from downstairs. "I've been called into work! I might not be back in time for dinner, though, so don't wait for me!"

"Okay!" I call back. "Bye!"

I lie down on my old, creaky bed as I hear the front door shut downstairs. Resting my hands on my stomach I close my eyes. The silence is relaxing and I can feel myself drifting off to sleep...

And then the phone rings.

Groaning as I sit up, I swing my legs over the edge of the bed before reaching for the phone. "Hey mom," I murmur after looking at the caller ID and answering the phone.

"Hey sweetie, how are you?" She questions, and I can hear the smile in her voice. I can also hear Phil practicing batting in the background.

I nod silently. "I'm great."

"Is everyone treating you okay? How was school?" She sounds worried now, and I roll my eyes.

"Yes," I reply. "Everything's great. Everyone's really nice." Well, almost everyone. "Charlie's good."

"Is he there now?"

"No," I say, lying back down on my bed. "He just left for work."

She sighs, and I can practically hear her rolling her eyes. "He's always at work," She grumbles, and I sigh. It's one of the reasons she left him.

We talk for a little while longer before I hang up the phone. After eating I put the leftovers in the fridge for Charlie before I go upstairs, do my homework and go to bed. Charlie is already gone when I wake up in the morning.

I decide to walk to school again, as I'm unsure whether or not the truck will actually work, not that I'm doubting Jacob Black's mechanic skills. When the exertion begins to take it's toll and I can actually feel sweat beginning to drip down my face, I take my coat and gloves off. I'm alone on this road, and I doubt anyone driving past will want to stop and shake my hand for the fun of it.

"Hey Bella," Jessica greets me as I walk into the parking lot. She makes a grab for my bare hand as she does, however, and I cringe as her future flashes through my head.

_She easily gets through school, getting into the college she wants and then marrying Mike afterwards. She becomes an art teacher, finding her talent in drawing. At twenty five she has twin girls, and then later has a miscarriage and is unable to have children after that. After Mike is killed she moves to Chicago with her children and remarries. At eighty two years old, she dies of old age in her sleep. _

I can't suppress my smile as she drags me to her - our - friends. Mike greets me with enthusiasm and Tyler smiles at me. Lauren just rolls her eyes at me grabs Jessica's arm, dragging her away from me. She then starts talking about some perm one of the girls in the year got and how 'she looks like a poodle'. Jessica squeals at this.

"Hey Bella," Mike says, swinging an arm over my shoulders as I pull my gloves on. "Enjoying the rain?"

"It's not raining," I reply, looking up at the sky in confusion. But from the looks of it, it's not raining now, but it will soon.

Tyler shrugs, pushing Mike away from me. "Yeah, but it rains a lot here. It's his lame way of saying, how are you enjoying Forks?"

"It's alright," I mutter, stepping away from them. "But in Phoenix, there was more sun, and I kind of miss my mom."

"Yeah," Mike sighs, once again throwing an arm around me. I try and throw him off, but he just stays put. Like a really annoying puppy. "I get that."

"Stop trying to flirt with me," I mutter, and either he doesn't hear me, or just ignores me. I roll my eyes. "It's not working." Again, he doesn't seem to hear me, just steering me to our shared class as the bell rings across the lot.

At lunch my eyes sweep the room the moment I step into the cafeteria. At first glance I don't notice anything different, until I find the Cullens.

There are only four of them.

A sick feeling settles in my stomach. Edward wasn't sitting at the table, and to be honest I hadn't seen him at school all day. Maybe it didn't mean anything, though. He might have gone home ill (although, to be honest I can't imagine any of the Cullens being sick), or he might have come down with something over night and not been able to come to school. His dad's a doctor, so it might be a cold and his dad's being overly cautious, seeing too many things start with the symptoms of a cold and ending with death. Edward is very pale, they all are, so maybe they're all cancer patients or something and Edward's dead.

Okay, I'm getting ridiculous now, but what did I ever do to him?

"Bella?" Angela asks, nudging my shoulder. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," I squeak, and silently curse myself. "I'm just gonna get a water."

I get an apple as well as the water, though, sitting with my food and drink with my back to the Cullens. The others get into a comfortable conversation quickly, and I try to make it look like I'm listening, but after a while I lift the apple to take a bite. But as I do I notice Rosalie and Jasper Hale reflected in the shiny red surface of it. I can see Emmett and Alice as well, but their figures are blurrier as the apple curves. As I watch I see the blurry figures of Jasper and Emmett turn to me. Dropping the apple in surprise, I turn to the Cullen table to find the boys watching me curiously. Alice is grinning at something, biting her lip and looking down at the table. But Rosalie looks angry, and very, very dangerous.

I look away as I feel the sadness creeping across my features. Edward did run away because of me. _At least they're subtle about it_, I think, rolling my eyes.

The next day is very much the same. I take my gloves off on the walk to school and end up seeing Jessica's future again. Mike and Tyler and Eric, a boy from my maths class, try to flirt with me. Lessons are boring and at lunch the remaining four Cullens watch me. The guilt of chasing their brother away hits me again. This goes on for a few days. Almost a week, in fact.

But one day, as my eyes rake across the cafeteria, I spot the coppery red hair that can only mean one thing.

There are five Cullens at the table.

Swallowing my fear, I step over to the line forming to buy my food. "Are you alright, Bella?" Mike asks as the line moves but I don't. Angela nudges me forward. I almost fall flat on my face, but catch myself just in time. A booming laugh echoes across the cafeteria, and I look over just in time to see Emmett and Edward Cullen look away from me, laughing.

Huh. Subtle.

"I'm just gonna get a lemonade," I tell Mike, stepping away form him slightly to purchase the drink. "I guess I don't feel very well."

"You alright?" Angela asks as we sit down next to Jess and the others. Lauren sneers at me as I sit down. I resist the urge to punch her. People here just seem to hate me instantly.

"I'm fine," I reply quietly, sinking low in my seat. Jessica giggles suddenly.

"Edward Cullen is staring at you," She whispers, grinning slightly, but I can see and hear the envy she tries to hide.

I bite my lip, avoiding meeting his eye. "He doesn't look angry does he?" I mutter, folding my shoulders forward and sinking even lower in my seat. My neck feels as though it's level with the top of the seat now.

"No," She replies, confused, but a bit of the envious tone disappears. Clearly I'm not much competition if the famous Edward Cullen and I don't get along. "Should he be?"

"I don't think he likes me very much," I admit, and she nods, her envy having completely disappeared.

"The Cullens don't like anybody," She tries to console me, but even I can see it's half hearted. "Or at least, they don't notice anybody enough to notice them... But he's still staring at you."

"Well stop looking at him!" I order, glaring at her slightly. She giggles again and complies.

The rest of lunch is uneventful, and I contemplate leaving an skipping biology. I don't want to face Edward. I don't want to face any of the Cullens. But in the end I find myself making my way to biology with Mike and Angela. Taking my seat next to him, I avoid looking at the man who could ruin my time here. Who could ruin my normal life. My _almost_ normal life.

"Hello," He says quietly, formally, after the lecture ended and everyone began setting up the practical. I had done this practical before, and so I was already bored. "My name is Edward Cullen."

I wonder why he introduced himself. Surely he is aware of Jessica's obsession with him. Surely he has seen me with her, and knows we're friends... kind of. Surely I'd know his name by now.

Which I do, and his entire families'.

"I didn't a chance to introduce myself last week," He continues. _Yes you did, but you were too busy pretending I'm the devil, _I correct in my mind. "You must be Bella Swan."

"How do you know my name?" I demand. This is another sign he's not normal. I wonder how he'll get around it.

"Oh, I should think everyone knows your name," He replies "The whole town has been waiting on your arrival."

He's good, but not good enough. "No," I say, cocking my head in fake confusion. "You called me Bella. Everyone else called me Isabella, and I think that's what my dad calls me behind my back."

"Ah," He stutters, nodding and looking away, clearly uncomfortable.

Bella one, Edward zero.

I'm not entirely sure why I'm doing this, calling him out on the less obvious things that separate him from the rest of the human race. He just makes me angry, somehow. He is just like me in some ways, trying to be normal when he so clearly isn't. But in other ways it angers me, as I'm sure if people found out his secret they wouldn't care, just because of his looks, whatever his secret is. If they found out my secret though...

I'd probably be dissected.

"Begin," Mr Banner tells us, and I hear some people groan before starting the practical. Chuckling, I snap in the first slide and quickly look into the microscope.

"Prophase," I say confidently, and as I look up at him I notice something else different.

"May I?" He asks, leaning forward to move the microscope in front of him. Clearly he doesn't trust my judgement.

"Swan!" Mr Banner calls suddenly. "You're not outside, gloves off."

I curse under my breath, and slowly remove the gloves. I had done well in hiding the fact I kept them on from Mr Banner over the past few days, but today I was too distracted.

Damn you Edward.

I look over to see him smirking as he writes on the sheet. Looks like I was right, the word _Prophase _ written in the top box proves that. As I watch he snaps another slide in place, and looks into the microscope. "Did you get contacts?" I ask, hoping to catch him off guard. He looks up in shock, gold eyes meeting brown ones.

The thing is, almost a week ago it was black eyes meeting brown ones.

"No," He says after a moments hesitation, looking confused, clearly wondering why I asked.

"Oh," I mutter, looking down at the table, trying to act surprised. "I guess I thought I saw something different."

"Oh," He mimics me, and as I look over I can tell he's berating himself.

Bella two, Edward zero. Ha.

I pull the microscope towards me after he says his answer out loud. Anaphase, apparently, although I don't have any doubt that he's right. I hate that.

He is right, and I hold my hand for the next slide. He hands it to me, but as he does our hands brush. I'm not wearing my gloves.

I freeze as I look into his future.


	4. Chapter 4

**The idea and plot of this story belongs to gaara king of the sand. Thanks to them for letting me write this story! Twilight belongs to SM. **

...

_..._

What?!

How can he not have a future?!

There are flashes: His siblings, and two others I am assuming are his parents. The forest, but it's going past at ridiculous speeds. Animals, as if he's watching them. And then his death... He looks the same as he does now, _exactly_ the same, and there are dark cloaks and fire and...

It stops.

Between every flash it is fuzzy, and then it just stops.

How much time does he have left?

I jerk my hand away from his, staring at him with wide eyes and an open mouth. Classroom noise slowly fills my ears as I come back to the present, and I realise that no one just saw...

Whatever it was I saw...

"Bella?" Edward Cullen asks quietly, trying to get my attention. He looks concerned, a crease forming between his eyebrows...

"What are you?" I whisper before I can stop myself. For a moment panic and shock registers on his face, before he composes himself and suddenly he is smiling.

"What are you talking about, Bella?" It's a simple question, but it's put too simply, too composed, as if he's trying to convince I'm insane. Maybe I am. I mean, who else sees the future?

I look away from him, shaking my head slightly to clear it. "Nothing." I'm trying to convince myself. It's not working. "It's nothing."

The bell rings. He leaves first. I skip last period.

I sprint across the parking lot, running straight for the forest. Once I reach it I continue running, going as deep as I can into the trees. _Never_, in all my life, have I met someone who has no future. And the flashes I _did_ see of his future were weird too. His family, all inhumanely beautiful. Supposedly all adopted and yet they all look the same. Same gold eyes. Same unblemished skin. His family are a part of his life, so it's not unusual they'd be part of his future.

The forest. Perhaps he lives near the forest. But it was going by so fast... Maybe he does running, or rides bikes with his brothers. Maybe quad bikes. That would explain the speed, and it's not too strange.

Animals. It could link to the last one. Maybe he and his family go hunting a lot. Not too strange in this town. Charlie used to go hunting all the time. Who knows, maybe he still does.

His death... I assume it's his death, as I don't actually see him die. But he is on his knees in the middle of a room made of stone. A man with long black hair stand before him, smiling sadly yet cruelly. In chairs a few feet behind him sit two men. One with long brown hair and one with hair the colour of snow. A large fire is burning a few feet away, and as the picture progresses other men in slightly lighter cloaks step forward and surround him. It ends there.

Another strange thing about his future is that there's no sound. All of the futures I've seen have had people talking and sound in them. I used to curse it, as hearing someone's screams as they were shot or stabbed or watched someone they loved die used to haunt me and cause many nightmares, but now I feel I need the insight sound gives me. It lets me know why someone is in the hospital, or why they are where they are. Even though I'm not sure I want to know what he is, I want to know if the last scene is his death, and why I feel like the only way they could be killing him is by ripping him apart... They had no weapons...

I finally stop running and sit down on a log, panting heavily. I lower my head into my hands. My head is throbbing, and my stomach is churning. I haven't eaten today, and all I've had to drink is half a lemonade. The dehydration is taking it's toll, and my eyelids droop tiredly.

I wake to a terrifying growling sound. It has gotten darker, and I struggle to see through the trees. Were they always so dense? The growling starts again, but a lot closer and I hear someone shout "Shit!" Before I'm suddenly being thrown backwards. I land a few feet away, clipping my head on a rock. A loud roar sounds through the forest and I get up and begin running. But I trip again and just manage to turn around before I see...

It can't be.

For a moment I think Edward Cullen is standing over me, but then he's gone as if someone has yanked him away. I begin running again, but the cut in my forehead is deeper than I thought and I'm losing more blood than is healthy. A sharp pain in my leg informs me I twisted, broke or sprained my ankle on my last fall. It's too much, and I fall again. I don't get up, and the blood loss becomes too much as I close my eyes...

"Bella, can you hear me, sweetheart? Bella?"

"Dad?" I whine, opening my eyes slightly. But the glare from the harsh lights is too much, and I close them again. "What happened?"

"That's what we're hoping to find out, Miss Swan," Another voice answers. "Can you open your eyes for me?"

I force my eyes open, squinting against the light. I open them wider, and am greeted by the sight of my father, Emmett Cullen and who - by his golden eyes and pale complexion - I can only assume is Doctor Cullen. "Hello Bella," He says kindly, smiling. "My name is Doctor Cullen." My suspicions are confirmed. "Now, you were brought in earlier after suffering a minor concussion and you also have a sprained ankle. You're going to be here for the rest of the night for observation. Can you name these objects for me?"

He places a few items on the tray in front of me, and I name them. He seems pleased and I know he will ask me to recite the items later to test my long term memory. After running a few other tests he asks me a question. "Bella, do you remember what happened?"

"I went for a walk," I tell him, trying to think back. It all comes back then, and my breath catches. Looking back at Dr Cullen I decide to edit it. There's no way I'm going to tell him I thought I saw his son. His son, who has probably told him how much he hates me. "And I got really tired because I didn't eat lunch. When I woke up there was this weird growling, like an animal. I think it was a bear." Dr Cullen and Emmett visibly relax. I resist grinning. "Then I started running." No need to tell him something threw me back. "And I fell. I either hit my head or the bear got me but I started bleeding. I think I twisted my ankle when I fell. That's all I remember. How did I get here?"

"Me and the Jazz-Man were hiking. We found you and called Carlisle and brought you here," Emmett informs me before Dr Cullen can say anything. Dr Cullen sighs. I look at him with a confused expression.

"Emmett," He groans. "How many times do we have to tell you to stop calling Jasper that? You know he hates it."

"Yeah, but it's not like he's here," Emmett defends himself, frowning. "And it's not like Eddie-Boy or Ali are here to tell him I called him that."

"Stop calling Edward that," Dr Cullen orders. "He hates it too. And if you stop calling them those names behind their backs then you're less likely to do it in front of them. Now go home, your mother is worrying about you."

"Fine," He grumbles rolling his eyes. "Get well soon Bella," He says cheerily as he leaves.

"Who's Carlisle?" I question, as it occurs to me I don't know who that is. I'd like to know who it was that Emmett and Jasper called when they found me.

"That would be me," Dr Cullen smiles slightly. "I'll see you later Bella, get some rest. You should be free to go in the morning, but no school tomorrow, okay? You need to take it easy."

"Okay," I agree, leaning back in the pillows. He makes sure I'm properly supported before leaving. I turn to Charlie "You should go home, dad. I'm alright now."

He looks troubled as he leans towards me. "Bella..." He sighs, shaking his head slightly. "What were you doing out there on your own?"

"Just going for a walk, dad," I reply, almost honestly. "I really needed to clear my head. This is a big change for me. I miss mom."

"I know, honey," He replies, taking my hand in his. "But I couldn't bear it if I lost you. If those boys hadn't found you then you could have bled to death. Or even frozen to death. Do you have any idea how cold it gets out there at night?"

"Very?" I guess quietly, earning a just as quiet chuckle from him.

"Very _very_, Bells," He murmurs, standing to kiss my forehead. "I've got to go to work early in the morning, so I've left some clothes with Dr Cullen and his wife, Esme, will be over here in the morning to help you dress and then you'll be spending the day with her. You can't go to school tomorrow, and I don't want you to be on your own. The Doc agrees with me, and he said his wife would be delighted to have you." _  
_

I try to swallow the panic rising inside me, but some of it must have it's way to my face as Charlie steps back slightly. "You okay, Bells?"

"Yeah," I manage to say evenly. I'm surprised. I thought my voice would have broken, at least. "I just don't want to inconvenience them."

"You won't," Charlie reassures me. "Carlisle already reassured me. It's no trouble."

"Fine," I grumble. Leaning up to hug him, but a pain flashes through my side, and I wince. Charlie frowns.

"The Doc did mention you may have a few bruised ribs," He admits. "Another reason you're not allowed anywhere near school tomorrow, and possibly the day after."

"Fantastic," I huff, gently falling back into the pillows.

"Good morning Bella," Dr Cullen greets me the next day. "Did you sleep well?"

"Not really?" I mumble. "My ribs hurt."

"Does anything else?" He asks, holding one finger up and requesting that I look at it while he shines a light in my eyes.

"Just my head," I whisper lowly, hoping he won't hear. In fact I barely hear myself, so I'm surprised when he moves his hands to my head, gingerly feeling for bumps. Another way they're not normal.

Another reason I don't want to be trapped with one of them for a day, or maybe two.

"Where?" He questions, still gently massaging my head.

"Everywhere," I admit sheepishly. "But it's more like a headache than if I'd hit it."

"Well," He says, seeming pleased. "You seem to be healing well, and the headache is probably just dehydration. Now, my wife will be arriving soon. I hope the Chief told you about the plan today?"

"He did," I reply, looking down. "I'm sorry for inconveniencing you."

He smiles gently. "It's no trouble, Bella. Honestly. Esme is delighted to have you."

Only ten minutes after he has left, someone knocks on the door. "Come in," I call, and I'm greeted by Snow White. "Hello," I say, and I realise it must be Mrs Cullen when I catch sight of her golden eyes.

"Hello, Bella," She replies kindly, smiling sweetly. "I'm Esme Cullen. How are you feeling?"

"Fine thank you," I answer. "Only a bit sore. You don't have to do this, you know."

"Nonsense," She laughs, a soft musical sound that makes my breath catch. "You can't go to school and there's no point in you staying here and just staring at these white walls. It must be awfully lonely."

Even though I want to stay away from her, I'm touched by her kindness. "Thank you, Mrs Cullen," I say sincerely, and she smiles.

"Please," She says. "Call me Esme."

I nod, and she offers to help me dress because of my ankle. I reject the offer, and she smiles understandingly , hands me a stack of my clothes and leaves the room. I dress slowly, giving myself time to think. But something catches my attention before I can get too lost in my thoughts.

There are no gloves with the clothes.

I left my gloves at school.

Crap.

"Bella?" Esme's voice sounds through the door. "Can I come in?"

"Sure," I reply. I'm dressed now.

"Are you okay?" She asks as she sees my distressed features. I nod.

"I don't have any gloves," I admit. "I always wear gloves."

"Well," Esme smiles. "We have some at the house you can borrow if you want. Now, let's get you up."

She holds out her hands to help me stand, but I grimace and lean away slightly. She understands immediately that I don't want to touch her, although she could never imagine the reason why. Esme leaves the room, signalling she'll be back in a minute. I wait patiently, almost getting lost in my thoughts before she comes back, a pair of those thin, white rubber gloves in her hand. "Carlisle keeps a box of these in his office," She tells me. "Will they do?"

I nod gratefully and pull them on. They feel funny, but when Esme grabs my hands to pull me up I don't see anything I shouldn't. I smile. I am grateful.

Esme helps me out the car when we reach her house, and its almost impossible to believe that this house exists in such a small town. It's huge, and the white against the grey sky and dark forest make it stand out even more. Once we walk inside my breath catches. The entire space is very open, with the front wall entirely glass and the front room looks as though it used to be three rooms, but the walls were removed to create more space. Almost directly in front of the door is a grand staircase with a red carpet adorned with intricate gold patterns. A door off to the side is slightly ajar, and I can see a fridge through the gap. It's one of those fancy silver ones with a fridge on one side and a freezer on the other, and the freezer door has a water and ice machine in it. My mouth falls open, and suddenly I'm afraid to use my crutches or even walk inside at all just in case I damage the floor or make something dirty. It's all so white and pristine. Even the sofas are white.

"Come and sit down," Esme says, and I almost say no. I'm bound to break something, if not another bone. She helps me sit in front of the huge TV and extensive collection of gaming systems and then disappears. I'm confused at first until she reappears with a pair of very expensive-looking brown leather gloves. I take them from her cautiously. "You can keep them, if you like."

"I couldn't possibly," I tell her, smiling gratefully yet cautiously.

She smiles anyway, and places a hand on my knee and bends down to my level. "I'll let you think about it," She says kindly. "Can I get you anything? Juice, water, a hot chocolate? We also have sandwiches? Ice cream?"

"A hot chocolate?" I say nervously, not wanting to sound too demanding. Esme nods, and stands to go and get it. Once she's gone I lean back into the sofa, sighing as it cushions my back. I'm sore all over, and this is much softer than anything I've ever sat on. It's heaven, but I can't let myself enjoy it. I can't become attached to these people.

I place the brown gloves in my lap and then pull the surgical gloves off. Suddenly I'm worried Dr Cullen will be angry, but hopefully Esme will back me up and tell him that she took them. Then again, Carlisle doesn't seem like of type of person to be angry about something like that... Or angry at all, for that matter. Pulling the leather gloves on I'm surprised at how well they fit and how comfortable they are. It's like they were made to fit me.

"Here," Esme is back, and she hands me the hot chocolate in a pristine white mug. I almost groan. I'm bound to get that dirty, or spill it somewhere. Esme sees my distressed expression and places the mug on the coffee table. "Don't worry about spilling it," She says gently, taking my gloved hands in her bare ones. Even her _hands_ are white and pristine. I'm so screwed. "Emmett and Alice spill things all the time." I nod, but I have a hard time believing her.

After that I drink the hot chocolate cautiously, but not as cautiously than I had planned. It turns out to be a good day after all, as Esme just lets me watch TV and shows me their huge (huge doesn't even cover it) DVD collection. They seem to have every DVD imaginable. After a few hours she offers me a house tour, and I can't find it in myself to decline.

I've already seen everything downstairs, so she helps me up the stairs with an arm around my waist. When we get up the stairs she points to each closed door in turn, still supporting me as I left my crutches downstairs. "Carlisle's office... Mine and Carlisle's room... Rosalie and Alice's room... Emmett and Jasper's room..." We reach the end of the hall and she points to the last door. "Edward's room," She tells me.

The door to this one is open.


	5. Chapter 5

By now I'm tired, and I lean against the door frame a bit to keep myself up. Esme notices, and actually leads me _into_ Edward's room. She sits me down into the couch in there, and as I look around I notice that there's no bed. Just a seemingly endless music collection and a lot of books; some of them are journals, I notice, and I almost consider reading them. _Almost._ _  
_

Esme notices me looking around and smiles slightly. "Edward's a bit reclusive," She explains. "He likes to be on his own so he just keeps everything up here. It's one of the reasons a house full of teenagers is so tidy."

She doesn't mention the lack of bed. Strange. Surely it's the most obvious thing? Maybe he just sleeps on the couch. That would make sense. "Do you need anything?" Esme asks kindly, and I shake my head. She gives me a look.

"Water?" I ask gently, and she disappears to get it for me, leaving me in Edward's room. If the others came back now I don't know what they'd say... I start to get up as I look up at a clock that is resting on the table next to the couch, and see that in two minutes school will end, and I've seen how the Cullens tear out of the school parking lot. I think they even drove past me once on the way to school. At those speeds, they'll be home in ten minutes. The school might even be out by now. I'm so screwed.

Esme reappears with a glass of water in her hands. It doesn't look very cold as she holds it, but as I take it in my hands, even through the gloves I can tell it's _freezing_. But when I take a sip the water isn't particularly cold. There's a chance the glass was just cold, but I eye her wight hands suspiciously. She takes no notice, or decides not to. "Would you like to go back downstairs?" I nod enthusiastically, and she takes the glass from my hands, taking it downstairs beforehand. She comes back and helps me up. For half a second I look around for my crutches, and almost curse I realise I left them downstairs. Esme smiles as if I she's knows what I'm thinking, and places a cold arm around my waist as she leads me downstairs. But we're not even _half way_ down the stiars before the front door almost swings off of it's hinges, and as it bounces off the wall Emmett Cullen barges in, the unforgettable faces of Rosalie and Hale and Alice Cullen are barely visible behind him. "_We're home!_" He booms, and Esme chuckles next to me as we go down another step.

"Yes, Emmett," She laughs. "We're aware."

He looks up at us, his strange eyes sparkling. "Let me help you!" He exclaims, rushing towards us and picking me up into his arms. He then runs smoothly down the stairs and drops me onto the couch. I cringe as it jostles my leg. Rosalie scowls in my direction.

"Emmett!" Esme chides, and he smiles sheepishly. "Where are your brothers?"

"Eddie-boy and Jazz-man went to see Carlisle," Emmett replies easily, stretching out on the sofa next to me.

"I thought your dad told you to stop calling them that," I say in a sudden burst of confidence. Emmett, Esme and Alice laugh as Rosalie's scowl just deepens.

"Yes, stranger I found in the forest," Emmett chuckles. "He did. But he's not here right now, and neither are they."

Alice laughs as well, and sits down daintily next to me. Rosalie and Esme sit down on the sofa facing us. Rosalie looks me up and down. "_Is she wearing my gloves?!_" She screeches suddenly, and I flinch. Immediately I try to take them off, but Alice catches my hand.

"Don't worry about it," She whispers. "Rosalie likes to overreact sometimes; she'll never wear them again."

"Okay," I reply, shifting away from her slightly, alarmed by how close she is to me. They're all too weird. But as I shift away I shift towards Emmett. Rosalie snarls at me slightly, and so I stand up. Emmett chuckles. "I think I'm gonna go home," I tell Esme, pulling off the gloves and grabbing my crutches. I leave the gloves on the coffee table, and begin to walk towards the door. Emmett appears in front of me, his arms crossed.

"You can't go home on your own, Bella," Esme tells me, placing a hand on my shoulder. "Would you like me to drive you back?"

"No no," I tell her, not happy about the prospect of being stuck in an enclosed space... Again. "I'll just walk... Or hop, as the case may be."

Esme chuckles and Rosalie snorts, shaking her head. "We live at least a mile from your house, Bella. You can't walk. I'll drive, if you really don't want to stay," She informs me.

"I don't want to trouble you," I explain, leaving out the fact that I really want to get away from her and her strange family, even though it's been a nice day, and they're all kind. I feel like they're trying to find out my secret, and by taking off my gloves I've just given them a huge advantage.

"You're not troubling us," Esme says sweetly, but Rosalie mutters something that sounds like an argument. Alice glares at her.

"Come on," Emmett urges. "We don't need you going back to the hospital because of us. Let Esme drive you home."

_We don't need you going back to hospital because of us. _Maybe I'm just looking into it too much, but maybe he means that they put me in hospital in the first place... I know I saw Edward, and I know something pushed me back. "I'm alright," I say forcefully. "I could always just call Charlie or have one of my friends to pick me up."

"Just hand out our address, why don't you?" Rosalie sneers.

"Enough Rose," Esme says firmly, and her blonde daughter flicks her hair over her shoulder before making her way up the stairs. Emmett and Esme both sigh; rather dramatically on Emmett's part, before he follows Rosalie upstairs. I cringe in embarrassment. Not only are two of the Cullen brothers not here (probably because of me), but Rosalie hates me. Alice notices my discomfort, and reaches for my hand, but I snatch it away before she can touch it. She looks slightly hurt, but Esme understands. She hands me the gloves, but I refuse them, shaking my head.

"Thank you," I tell her, my voice lowered slightly. "But that's okay..." I pause. "Would you drive me home?"

Her smile falters for a moment before it comes back, softer and kinder than ever before. "Of course, darling," She says, and I nod nervously as she leads me out to her car. Just as she begins driving down their massive drive, another car turns the corner and she slows and rolls her window down so she can talk to the other driver. As I look past her I see it's Doctor Cullen, still in his hospital scrubs. "Hello dear," She says to him, and I shift uncomfortably. "Are Jasper and Edward on their way?"

"Yes, and hello," He replies, smiling kindly. They both lean out of their respective windows and kiss lightly. I frown and look away. "And hello to you, Bella," He adds after a moment, and I nod nervously.

"Hi," I squeak out, and he smiles again, his blond hair falling into his eyes as he sets off and continues to drive into the garage. Esme continues down the drive, humming lowly to herself in a soothing manner. I rest back into my seat, and we're outside Charlie's house before I know.

"Here we are," Esme announces, and I smile at her gratefully, reaching for the door handle.

"Thanks," I breath, hopping out the car. "See you later!"

"Bye!" She replies, just before I shut the door and she drives away. As her car rounds the corner at the end of my road I breath a sigh of relief, brace my arms against the cold and my crutches and make my way inside. As I suspected, Charlie isn't home and won't be for a few hours, so I decide to just go to bed.

"Bells?" Charlie's voice wakes me. I sit up slowly, stretching out my back. "Are you here?"

"I'm upstairs!" I call back, but my voice is weak and raspy from disuse and dehydration. Charlie appears in my doorway.

"I thought you were with the Cullens today?"

"I was," I answer honestly. "But when all the Cullen kids came home I felt uncomfortable being there, so I asked Mrs Cullen to bring me home."

My father nods in understanding, running his right hand down his tired face, making a sound I can only describe as _gravelly_ as his skin connects with the stubble on his jaw. "That's alright," He tells me. "Just let me know next time, okay? I was on my way to the Cullens when I got a text from the Doc saying you'd already left his house."

"Sorry," I say meekly, dipping my head. "It just slipped my mind."

He smiles that old smile. "It's fine, Bells. Just get some more rest, okay?" I nod in agreement, closing my eyes as he kisses my forehead and leaves me alone again.

I'm actually allowed to go to school the next day, so I ask Charlie to drive me. He doesn't ask why I don't use my truck; just leads me to his car and drives me to school.

I wonder if it's occurred to him that I've _never_ driven my truck. I might have to drive it one day, just to test it out. Or at least put it in a different position in the drive.

Once I'm out the car students crowd me like moths to a flame. Mike helps me out the car while Jess chatters to me that there's some rumour I spent the day at the Cullens house and how ridiculous that was. I don't correct her; I don't need nor want the attention. Thankfully, Angela comes to my rescue and pushes them all away, supporting me and my crutches as she leads me over to the building housing our first lesson. I nod at her gratefully.

"It's no problem," She says, pushing her glasses up her nose. "I know I'd hate the attention if it were me."

"Well," I grin. "Be glad it's not you, then. Come on." We make our way inside, and I let out a sigh as I finally sit down, even if the chair _is_ one of those uncomfortable plastic ones. The day goes by in a blur of questions and vague, half-answers about whether or not I _did_ go to the Cullen's house, and who I met while I was there. Suddenly I'm sitting in the cafeteria again, leaning back in my chair and staring absent mindedly at the door, wondering if the Cullens are _all_ going to be in school today, or if I drove Edward and Jasper away for good and they never want to see me again. To my surprise, however, none of the Cullens appear for the entirety of lunch, and I sigh in defeat. I _know_ I saw Edward in the forest; I know that Emmett and Doctor Cullen were relieved when I said I thought it was a bear. I'm not sure whether I was planning on confronting them about it, or about the fact I know they're different, but somehow I feel disappointed that I will never get the chance. I wish I had a second chance. _  
_

My wish is answered.

When I hobble into biology, there he is, in a light grey t-shirt, absent mindedly doodling on the front of his book. He looks up as I approach, dragging his bag off of my chair and pulling it out for me before turning back to his book. "Thanks," I say as I sit down. He nods in acknowledgement, not looking up. I huff, rolling my eyes. So we're back to the silent treatment. Yay.

"Have a annoyed you?" A musical voice sounds, and I turn back to him. His golden eyes are locked on mine, and suddenly I'm back to my first day of school, and his black eyes are baring into mine.

_Black_. Eyes don't just change colour.

"Yes," I reply. "You have." He hasn't, but I want to see his reaction to this. He frowns slightly, his forhead creasing.

"May I ask how?" His speech becomes overly formal. No teenager speaks like that.

"You may," I say, turning away from him. He looks at me patiently. "When someone is a guest in your house, it's common courtesy to say hello to them, yes? No matter how much you hate them."

"I don't hate you," He answers immediately, and a smile plays on the corner of my lips. Unfortunately, he is unable to continue, as Mr Banner enters the room.

"Gloves _off_, Miss Swan," He barks, and I grit my teeth. _Why?_ "Don't make me ask you again!"

I hastily pull them from my hands, setting them on the table top before clasping my hands in between my knees. I don't want to risk seeing his future again just in case I see something else. Whatever I see might give me some insight into whatever it is he is, and I don't want to know.

Maybe I should move back to Phoenix. Futures are less painful here (who's going to find drugs in such a small town?), but it's a lot weirder, or the 'people' are, and I came here to be normal. _Normal_.

And yet I find myself drawn to them; almost as if I can't leave them lone. I mean, why else would I be _talking_ to him? What's wrong with me?!

Throughout the lesson I see out of the corner of my eye that he's about to talk to me again, but something in my newly-resolved expression must put him off, as he just closes his mouth and watches me curiously. At the end of the lesson I get out of my seat quicker than normal (I don't fall, thank the Lord!) in the hope he won't have the chance to talk to me. but he reaches out and grabs my arm just as I'm pulling my gloves back on. I turn to him with an annoyed expression, and he lets go, choosing to simply follow me out of class instead. As I hop in front of him I can feel his eyes on my back, and after a minute or two I finally turn around. "Do you want something?" I ask rudely, looking him straight in the eye.

He looks surprised, and he shakes his head to clear it before answering. "I just wanted to tell you that the only reason I didn't say hello to you yesterday was because Carlisle wanted to talk to Jasper after school."

"_Really?_" I say sarcastically, and Emmett appears behind him, placing a hand on his shoulder. People look at us as we walk past.

"Ready for Spanish, man?" Emmett asks his brother, but I don't give Edward a chance to answer.

"I know you were talking to your dad, Edward," I tell him, and he frowns again. Emmett looks surprised. "I was just surprised you didn't come and say hello afterwards, or didn't you know that your father arrived home before I left? And considering your siblings came home in your car I doubt you _walked_ home from the hospital." His expression is comical; his eyes are as wide as saucers; his mouth slightly open. Emmett is struggling to hold in laughter behind him. I look Edward up and down with a disdainful expression, hoping that as I look back up him that my eyes don't portray how attractive I actually find him. "You know," I tell him. "You should really try eating lunch sometime. It might make you look a bit less... Weak."

Honestly, he doesn't look weak at all; even his jaw line is strong, but I grin to myself as I hear Emmett laugh louldy behind me, and Edward grumble something along the lines of "Is she serious?" as I walk away.

"Deadly serious," I call over my shoulder, and this time both of them look shocked as I glance back at them. My smirk grows wider.

Thankfully, I'm excused from gym because of my leg, so I simply sit at the side, reading a book, looking up every now and then to wave to Jess, or (sigh) Mike as they jog past. Today they're doing badminton, and I sigh in relief as there is no chance of a stray ball flying over and hitting me in the face. I'm not sure I need a broken nose as well as a broken ankle. At the end of the day I wait patiently for Charlie to pick me up, sitting on one of the old picnic benches and watching as the rest of the school walks or drives away. Soon the entire car park is empty, and I'm alone again.

After about twenty minutes I get worried, and so I pull out my phone, only to put it back when I hear the rumbling of a car coming into the car park. I stand, but then abruptly sit back down as I see that it's that overly-polished silver Volvo. "Hi, Bella!" I hear Alice Cullen sing as she climbs out of her brother's car. "Charlie called Esme. He's stuck at work. Now I'm here to take you home!"

"No thanks," I reply as she walks towards me. I look back at my book as she sits down daintily next to me.

"You don't really have a choice," She tells me seriously. "Don't you want to go home?"

"I do," I reply, putting my book back in my bag. "But I'd rather walk." I grab my crutches and stand, leaning against them as I leave the car park. The next thing I know Alice is driving next to me in her car with the window rolled down. She leaning towards the window and watching me intently. It's a good thing the road is empty.

"Get in the car, Bella," She sighs, glancing at the road every now and then.

"No," I say definatly. "I don't want to. I'm fine."

"You can't walk home on crutches!" She exclaims.

"Yes I can," I mutter, setting my jaw. "I am, in fact. So just drive off, and leave me alone."

She shakes her heard gently, he black hair swaying. "I can't do that Bella. What if something happened to you?"

"Nothing's going to happen to me," I reassure her, and myself. "I walk to and from school every day."

"But not on crutches!" Alice says, leaning over and opening the car door for me, still driving forward at a snail's pace. She seems frustrated.

"You're right," I admit to her. "I haven't walked home on crutches, but there's a first time for everything."

"Alright then," Alice concedes, leaning over and closing the door again. I almost cheer until I notice that she's still following me, and still watching me.

"What, are you just going to follow me home?!" I snap.

She grins, but she appears a bit less patient than before. "Either that or wait for you to get tired and get in the car!"

I groan and stop walking; I hear the car come to a stop next to me, the breaks emitting a high squeaking sound as it does. "Fine," I grumble, and she squeals delightedly, pushing the door open for me. I toss my bag inside first, and then climb in myself, throwing my crutches between our two seats, watching as they land in the back with a dull thud. Alice grins triumphantly. "Shut up," I groan, turning away from her and looking out the window. She chuckles lowly before restarting the car and beginning the drive to my house.

"I know what you said to Edward," She mutters after a minute, and I sigh.

"Let me guess," I huff, rolling my eyes. "Now you're going to tell me I was completely wrong and I'm to switch classes and never speak to any of your family again." Her musical laughter sounds throughout the car, and I cringe slightly at it's pitch.

She apologises. "Sorry. But you couldn't be more wrong. I was going to congratulate you on actually getting him to eat. We urge him to when he gets home from school but he never listens. Emmett was in hysterics, by the way. It was very funny." She rushes it all out in one breath, and it makes my head spin just listening to it.

"Oh," Is my clever reply. Great job, Bella. Jeez.

"Here we are!" She trills as she parks outside my house. I wonder if that's a thing with the Cullens; to announce they've reached their destination. I giggle slightly as I imagine Edward saying it every morning as he parks outside the school. Alice gives me a strange look.

"Nothing," I mutter, sighing again as I pull my crutches to me and then open the car door. "Thanks."

"It's no problem," She says, leaning over to my side as I step out of the car. Alice pulls my bag into her dainty hands and hands it to me. I nod, gratitude in my eyes. "Stay safe!" The door shuts, and off she goes.

Once I go inside I go straight to my room. I decide to catch up on some homework, but I've barely started before my phone starts ringing. I don't even look at the caller before answering. "Bella's phone," I say softly.

"Bella!" A familiar voice shreeks. "You're alive! Thank God! You haven't called me in weeks!" It's Louise; I chuckle.

"Sorry," I reply. "It's been a bit hectic. I already sprained my ankle."

"You're kidding!" She cries in a dramatic tone. I laugh again. "Don't you laugh at me, Bella Swan! How did this happen?"

"Bear attack," I say casually, trying not to imagine myself saying 'Cullen attack'.

Eh, too late.

"You see," She says in an exasperated tone, and I can tell she's shaking her head. "This is why I told you not to move!"

"You didn't tell me that," I say in a confused voice, trying to remember our conversation. "You just said you'd miss me. You didn't say anything about bear attacks."

"Same thing," She huffs, dismissing me. I chuckle. "Now, you need to tell me everything! What are the boys like?"

"Hmm," I reply thoughtfully, bringing my pencil to my lips and tapping it against them. "I don't know where to start."


	6. Chapter 6

**Plot belongs to gaara king of the sand. Twlight belongs to SM! Bit shorter than usual, but the next chapter is already in progress. :)**

Over the next few days I kind of expect the Cullens to keep hassling me, but I'm wrong. They seem to be avoiding me, but I have no complaints. Edward and Alice have stopped harrassing me, and I've only seen Doctor Cullen once since the day I spent with his wife, and that was just so I could make sure I could stop using my crutches. I haven't seen his wife at all, since then.

Edward has gone back to moving his seat as far away from me as he can, and then sitting as close to the edge as he can when we're in Biology. It's tiring, and for some reason I find myself missing him, even though he is two feet away. But sometimes I can feel his eyes on me, but by the time I look around at him, he has looked away.

Or maybe he was never looking me at all.

Louise and I always talk about our days when she gets home from school. I'm three hours ahead of her, which means I usually get the call around five. Today is no different. "Hey Bella, it's Louise!" She says the moment I pick, and I roll my eyes.

"I know it's you," I comment, idily flipping through my English text book, leaning back into my desk chair. "How are you?"

"I'm fine," She giggles. "I'm going to see Tom later."

I freeze, the phone slipping lower in my hand as my limbs begin to shake. "Who's Tom?" I finally ask. There wasn't a Tom in her future. There wasn't a Tom in anyone's future. There isn't even a Tom in our class. Who the Hell is Tom?

"Didn't I tell you?" She exclaims dramatically, and I can tell that she knows she never told me. "He's my new boyfriend. Well, we've only been on three dates but-"

"Hang on," I interrupt her, willing my limbs to stop shaking. "What happened to John?"

She groans loudly. "He cheated on me with Chelsea Anderson. He says he's sorry, but I doubt he really is."

"So who's Tom again?" I inquire.

"A guy I met in the park," She answers honestly. "He's like, twenty two, and he's really hot."

"Louise," I say slowly, carefully. "I've got to go. I'm sorry. I've got a lot of homework. I'll talk to you later?"

"Sure," She says cheerfully, completely, blissfully unaware of what this means. "Bye!"

"Bye," I squeak out, pressing red to end the call and then slamming my phone onto my desk. "Oh my God," I breath immediately, standing and running my hands through my hair, breathing heavily. "Oh my _God_!"

I don't know what this means. I don't know what this means. Her future has changed. Tom was never in her future. She and John never broke up. They stayed together. They need to be together. "Jesus Christ!" I reach out, and I pull my bookcase over. I am suddenly glad Charlie is at work as it crashes to the floor, the books' pages fluttering as a few of them fly from the shelves and slide across the hard wood floor. "Oh my God," I mutter again, bringing my fingers back to my hairline. I try desperately to slow my breathing. Maybe this isn't a bad thing. Maybe this means they will have longer to live.

Or maybe it doesn't. She will probably still get lung cancer. John might be so distraught about what he did to her that he might kill himself even before she dies. But I need to know. This changes everything.

This, this _Tom_, changes everything.

That night I find myself sitting at the kitchen table, both hands - still shaking - wrapped around a burning cup of hot chocolate. The spoon that rests in the mug rattles against the edge as I grip it so hard the the trembling travels from my hands and into the porcelain. As I look down at the white I cannot help but think of Esme Cullen's perfect, unnatural, glittering white hands. I shake my head to rid myself of that image. The Cullens will not help me now.

"Hey dad!" I try to say as confidently as I can, standing to greet him as he steps through the front door before removing his boots and gun. He doesn't remove the bullets, as he used to do many years ago when I was a child. "How was your day?"

"It was good," He replies slowly, looking me up and down. I don't even want to think about how I might look to him. My hair is tangled, my eyes are bloodshot; I'm sure I'm visibly shaking. I'm tired; I'm sure there are deep bags resting beneath my eyes. I try to smile, but even I know it looks more like a grimace. "What are you still doing up? It's past eleven."

"I wanted to talk to you," I say quietly, sitting back down at the table with him at my side. "I want to fly to Phoenix on Friday. One of my friends boyfriend cheated on her. She's really upset. I want to make sure she doesn't do anything stupid."

Like date a guy named Tom.

He looks surprised, and leans back in his seat. The only sound in the room is the creaking of his chair as he moves and my heavy breathing. There's nothing he can do to stop me, though. As long as my mom is waiting for me in the airport in Phoenix, then I'm alright to fly. I've already bought my ticket, and my return ticket. "How long will you be gone?" He asks after a minute. "You can't just cut school."

"I'm not going to," I reassure him. "I'll leave after school on Friday, and then I'll be back by dinner on Sunday. I just want to help my friend."

He nods slowly, frowning and running a hand across his chin. Looking back up at me, he nods again. "Alright," He concedes. "As long as your mother knows about it. Okay?"

"Okay," I breath. "Thanks dad."

I go to bed a lot lighter than a few minutes before. Now I have the comfort that I'm going Phoenix and I might be able to work this mess out and sort it.

The next day every single one of the Cullens are looking at me weirdly. I wonder why, but I don't ask.

On Friday I stand in the middle of the airport, trying to work out where I'm meant to be going for my flight. I finally find the gate just as my flight is called and eargerly run to it. I cannot wait to be in Phoenix. Thankfully the entire flight is smooth, and when we land I get off just as eagerly as I borded. The walk through security is agonisingly slow, and I have to wait what seems to be an _eternity_ before I can collect my bag. But finally, I am staring at my mother across a crowd of people and a stretch of white linoleum. She openly waves at me and screeches "Bella! I'm over here!" I wince, and wave back smally as people look back and forth between us, chuckling to themselves.

"Hey, mum," I murmur as I hug her. I'm wearing gloves, so I don't see her future. I'm glad; I'm here to concenrate on Louise and whatever it is she's gotten herself into; I can't afford to be worrying about my mother and her erratic future.

"Hi Bella," She cooes, hugging me tighter. I laugh lowly. "Lets get you home."

Those words sound strange coming from her mouth, as over the past week at least I've began to think of Forks as my home. Even now, I'm thinking my home is not my home without my father in it. But I simply nod; allow her to carry my bag, swing a (clearly fake) tanned arm over my shoulder and lead me to her car. I have to help her lift my bag onto the back seat before we hop into the front. The drive is short, as we live (or I used to) quite near the airport, and the next thing I know Phil is sweeping me up into a hug, grinning broadly. "Hello, Bella!" He says, and I notice he doesn't say 'welcome home' like he might have done before.

"Hey Phil," I smile, hugging him back. He just grins again, and, like my mum, pulls my bag from the back seat of the car, swings an (actually) muscled arm over my shoulder and leads me into the house.

We spend an hour talking about everything that's happened since I moved to Forks. Of course I can't tell her everything; she doesn't need to know about my injury and I don't bother to mention the Cullens. It's not worth it. She'd just constantly ask questions and I can't really handle that. Espeically now.

"I think I'm going to go to see Louise," I tell them, standing from my seat. They smile and nod, ushering me to go and see her. The thing is, Louise doesn't know I'm even in the state. I wanted to surprise her. But first, I'm going to see John.

The moment the familiar Starbucks comes into view, I smile to myself. It's good to be back here, even if I don't count it as my home.

John is working today, as I had hoped, and is leaning against the counter, his head in his hand as he absently traces patterns into the wood. The place is, as usual, practically empty. It's a wonder the place is still open. He looks up as I open the door. "Bella!" He exclaims, smiling.

"What the Hell is wrong with you?!" I reply, placing my gloved hands on the counter.

He sighs and frowns. "So Louise told you, huh?"

"Yes _Louise told me_," I scowl. "What the Hell?!"

"Look," He defends himself, raising his hands defensively. "It's not my fault! There was this party at Dan's place, and then we got really drunk and I don't really remember much..."

"Drunk?!" I splutter. "Drunk?! Are you kidding me?! You're seventeen, John! It's not even legal for you to drink in the UK yet, let alone the US!"

"Don't you think I know that?!" He whispers, indicating for me to lower my voice. I scowl at him, my eyebrows knitting together. "Of course I know that! I've been apologising to Louise for weeks but she won't listen!"

"Did you know she has a boyfriend?" I demand, my voice lowered to a dangrous pitch. He leans back slightly.

"What?" He says, blinking slowly.

I almost smirk, but instead I just lean back and cross my arms across my chest, running my tongue along my top teeth. "Well," I say. "She has a new boyfriend called Tom who's twenty two and she just met him in the park. It's the only reason I'm here; to talk to sense into her."

He just stares at me with his mouth open, and as I wave a hand in front of his face he doesn't react. After a minute or two I just back out of the shop and begin to make my way to Louise's house. I hope to God she's there, and I also hope that Tom isn't with her if she is in the house. I knock on the door (well, I pound on it impatiently) and I don't stop until I hear the lock click on the other side and the door slowly opens.

"Bella!" Louise is the one who opens the door, and she squeals my name the moment she sees me, tackling me in a hug. My hands are still gloved so there is no chance of me seeing her future, but that might have to change soon. I stay still as she hugs me, my back and ribs rigid as I wait for her to let go. After a moment she does so, but reluctantly. "You aren't visiting me just because I'm your best friend and you miss me very much, are you?" She asks hopefully. I shake my head.

"No," I tell her honestly, but I suddenly feel someone's presence behind me.

"Hello, Louise," Says a silky smooth voice. "Who's your friend?"

I turn.

So this is Tom.


	7. Chapter 7

**Plot belongs to gaara king of the sand. I'm sorry for any spelling mistakes. It's almost half four in the morning here, I'm not wearing my glasses and I haven't slept in almost twenty four hours. XD Well, I'm now on a school holiday so I've got another week to relax at least. Enjoy the chapter!**

And he's_ **sparkling?!**_

Oh. My. God.

My mouth drops open, and he looks over into my eyes. Gaging my expression, his eyes nearly pop out of his head as I watch his skin glitter as if reflecting the bright sun. I attempt to see what his eye colour is, but the sparkling from his skin is so bright I can't tell what the colour is. But then he looks straight into my eyes and says in a low, silky voice: "I'm not sparkling. I am perfectly normal. You just met me. Nothing is out of the ordinary."

"Of course it is!" I hiss back, looking at him as if he's mad. "You're _sparkling!_"

Now his mouth has fallen open, and it closes several times as if he wants to say something, but suddenly, Louise laughs. "Bell, I don't know what kind of game you're playing but he's not sparkling! Come on, let's go inside."

Reluctantly, I follow Tom inside, and it's only when he is safely inside the shade of the house that his skin turns to normal... Well, kind of normal. It still has a quality to it as if it's glowing, but not too obviously. In fact, it's only now that I notice how pale he is. Unusally pale, especially for a place like this (or anywhere else, for that matter). Almost as pale as...

No, I will _not_ think of _them_ now. This is about Louise.

It might just be a skin condition, that she knows of but ignores because she apparently _loves_ him so very much. It might just be that he's some kind of weird dancer and uses copious amounts of body glitter, but if that was so then why aren't the electric lights making him sparkle too? Because they're not; the orange lamps of the hall make him seem vaguely normal, and then harsh, white clinical lights of the kitchen just seem to reflect off his skin as if he's made from the purest stone.

Not glitter, then...

An allergic reaction to the sun, perhaps?

Maybe. I will ask, later, when Louise and her clearly clouded judgement aren't around to defend him. When he and I are alone, or with a sane person, I will ask, and he better hope I like his explanation. No one is going to get this close to my best friend and mess with her head so much without a reasonable explanation.

We settle awkwardly at the kitchen table, a mug or glass of something or other in each of our hands. Tom has water. Louise has juice. I don't know what I've been handed. I don't remember asking for anything. Instead, I am observing Tom. He has thick brown hair that goes just past his ears. His jaw line is strong and I can see that it is even more so now as it is tensed in irritation. His eyebrows are thick and knitted together in frustration. He is staring down at his glass so I can't see his eyes... Come on... Look up.

"Do you two know each other?" Louise asks suddenly, and my eyes snap to hers in shock. I forgot that we were in her house, let alone that she was in the room.

Tom looks at her as well, but now his hair is covering my view of his eyes. "What?" I say uncomprehendingly.

"Do you two know each other?" She repeats, frowning at us. "You're very hostile considering you've just met."

"No," I grind out, glaring over at Tom. "We don't know each other."

"Not at all," Tom adds, glaring right back.

"Oh," Our mutual friend says quietly, slumping in her chair, disappointed that her best friend and her boyfriend have decided to despise each other the moment they met.

It's then that I realise, why do I hate him? He has never done anything to me. For all I know he has a skin condition and Louise really loves him, and he really loves her. For all I know he will make the future better. But to me... The future has always been a fixed thing when it comes to Louise and John. Yes, their future's changed, leaping from a deep, dark pit of tragedy and loss almost instantaneously into a shallow, bright pool and love and hope. But no matter what happened, they remained together. They never broke apart, and I knew that if they did ever break apart I would have to somehow eliminate that complication.

And here he is.

And the sad thing is, Louise seems oblivious to his flaws. She seems oblivious to how strange he is. The only reason the only thing I am taking into account is the sparkling thing is because I have every other oddity before, on seven other people. They are nice enough people, in fact the parents are downright _lovely_, but this man is so... So... _Mysterious_ that I can't help but scrutinise every little perfection of his as if it's a flaw.

If only I could see his eyes. I'm not sure why, but his eyes are important. His eyes mean something, but I'm not sure how. I'm not even entirely sure what I'm expecting to see. Perhaps I'll see black, and then I'll hang around a small while longer and see if they change as Edward's do, or maybe I'll another colour, another _odd_ colour. Maybe gold... Or maybe something else. I'm not even sure what I'm hoping for, either.

Am I _hoping_ that he is strange? Am I _hoping_ that Louise has herself obsessed with a strange, unknown creature of a person? No, I don't think so. I just hope that he is not dangerous enough that he will hurt her, but I am also hoping that he is strange enough, just a little bit _too_ out of the ordinary that I can convince Louise that she shouldn't be with him, and that John is clearly the better choice for her.

I look back over at Tom, who is once again looking down at his water with such an intensity I'm worried it's about to burst into flames. His hair is once again stopping me from determining his eye colour and he is gripping the glass so hard it almsot appears to be cracking under his fingers. I switch over to Louise, and she is staring at him with such love and adoration that my plans against him immediately soften. She clearly loves him. And even as I watch, he returns the look with an even fiercer intensity than which he was staring at the glass. He reaches out and takes her hand, squeezing it gently with a small, bashful smile. She returns it, as he returned her gaze, and kisses him lightly.

But this is too much. Clearly, they do love each other very much, but as far as I know they've only been dating for a few weeks. She and Tom have practically been together since they were _twelve_ and they have never, ever treated each other with such adoration. Louise once told me they don't show such blatant affection for each other because they don't want to be seen as love sick fools who become the opposite of who they want to be while around each other. This man... He has completely changed her.

I have to get him away from her. I have to get _her_ away from _him_.

But maybe it's a good thing he has changed her... He does _clearly_ love her, after all. Maybe he is just bringing out the best in her... no matter how stomach churning it is to watch.

I'm also worried he's dangerous. I'm not worried he'll hurt her, just that he'll hurt someone else - including John if he hurts her anymore than he already has. He clearly _knows_ he sparkles, judging from the way he tried to 'convince' me he wasn't sparkling... _  
_

They're kissing more passionately now, and I just raise my eyebrows at them as I grip my mug of something-or-other. This goes on for a few minutes and as I watch them with what I'm pretty sure is a more-than-mildly disgusted expression, they seem to become even more oblivious to the world around them (which to be honest I'm still not entirely sure is poissble). I find out that the substance in my mug is a mix of cinnamon and orange juice, which doesn't take nice- in fact it's disgusting. Clearly Louise was a bit _distracted_ when she got me my drink, because even though I was also distracted, I _certainly did not_ ask for this concoction.

They continue kissing for several more minutes, to a point where I begin to wonder if Louise's parents are actually going to come home any time soon, and whether or not I should leave. But as the need to cough becomes overwhelming, I give into it, and what I thought was quite a quiet noise breaks them from their trance as if I had just grabbed a megaphone, placed it next to their ears and shouted into it as loud as I look. Louise glances at me before giggling with blushing an insane shade of red. Tom seems to swallow several times before he kisses her cheek gently, inhaling deeply before resting his head on her shoulder. He reaches out over the table and takes her hand, laughing to himself, his hair once again falling over his eyes. Damn him.

"Sorry Bella," Louise whispers in a mortified voice, lower than a whisper. I barely hear what she says. Tom kisses her hand.

"That's alright," I say easily, although it really wasn't. I lean back into the wooden chair and smile at them as best I can. "I think I should go now. I'll see you later, though."

As I get up I expect Louise to protest, so I'm surprised as a low baratone I barely recognise says, "No. I'll go. I mean, you're only in town for a few days, _right_ Bella?"

I gulp at the emphasis on 'right'. "Right," I answer in the strongest tone I can muster. God I hope my voice didn't break.

Tom stands and nods to me as he walks past me, but he doesn't leave before kissing Louise again. I almost gag. But then he's gone, and I'm talking to my best friend. Hopefully I will be able to convince her that he isn't good for her. Maybe it's selfish, but I really want her to be with John again, and I refuse to look into her future before I at least think I've made an impression. Here goes nothing.

I barely get a word in.

The whole conversation is simply her telling me how great school is and how I'm missing so much and how _absoulutely amazing_ Tom is. I 'um' and 'ah' in the right places and watch as her eyes light up every time Tom is mentioned. It's about nine at night by the time I make it home, and the moment I do I collapse on my bed in tiredness and despair. I didn't make an impression _at all_, and I _still_ haven't looked into _any_ of their futures. It was a wasted day, altogether.

The next day, I go and see John again at his house. He tells me everything, and he tells me how sorry he is. It ends after about two hours with him crying profusely into my shoulder, hugging me tightly to him. I gently rub his back as he finally lets out every single emotion he kept bottled up, sobbing as if his life depended on it. "I can't believe I lost her Bella," He whispers, tears still flowing freely down his face. "I can't believe I lost her."

I wipe his tears away with my thumbs, hugging him again. No matter how much he screws up or what he does, I will always consider him as sort of a brother, just as I consider Louise as a sister of sorts, even if they aren't together. "It'll be aright," I shush him, hugging him tighter to me. "It's all going to be okay."

"Her... her n-new boyfriend," He sniffs, wiping his eyes roughly with the heels of his hands. "Does he treat her alright?"

I nod sadly, trying to smile but failing miserably. "I only saw them together once, yesterday, in fact... And yes, he does seem to treat her very well. He seems to love her a great deal... And.." I hesitate. John is aleady a mess, does he really need to know this part? _Yes, _I decide. _He does_. "And she seems to love him too." _  
_

He looks away from me, eyes completely red around the edges as he takes another deep breath to calm himself and run his hands tiredly down his face. "As long as she's happy," He says in a weak voice, smiling at me and placing a hand on my shoulder. Silently, he leads me to the front door and opens it for me, waving me away, clearly needing some time on his own.

Once outside, I call Louise. "Hey..." I say into the phone once she picks up with her usualy squealy greeting. "I need to talk to you... Well, no, not you. I was wondering if I could get Tom's number? I want to apologise for my behaviour yesterday and I'd like to get to know him better... No... Don't come with me I'd like to talk to him on my own."

"Ah, alright then," She replies, a bit more subdued now. "I'll text you the number in a bit."

"Thanks," I answer gratefully, walking aimlessly down the street. I look down as I walk, attempting to miss the cracks as best I can. Sometimes the pavement is so covered in cracks that I have to jump to miss them and it the concentration it takes really helps my mind off of current events. But then I remember my conversation with John (well, I didn't talk much. Why is it that when I talk to Louise and John, I don;t actually _talk_?) and I sigh, halting suddenly. "Hey, Lou?"

"Yes?" She asks, sounding distracted.

"I need you to listen to me for a moment," I order, and she immediately snaps to attention.

"Sure, Bella. Whatever you need," She says sincerely, and I can't help but smile.

I sigh before voicing my concerns. "I think you need to go a bit easier on John."

"What?!" Is her immediate, angry reply. "Bella, you know what he did to me!"

"Yes," I snarl, just as angrily. "But I just saw him. He's tired as Hell, Louise! He's clearly very upset. He just cried for about an hour, and do you know what he said to me, at the end when I told him and you and Tom seem to lo-care for each other very much?" Caught that one just in time. I'm not entirely sure if they've admitted they love each other yet. That would have been a bit presumptuous.

"No," She growls back in a low voice. "Of course I don't know what he said. I wasn't _there_, was I?!"

I swallow and take a deep breath to calm myself so I don't shout my next words into the phone. "He said: 'As long as she's happy'. Don't you get it? He loves you so much that he's not upset just because he lost you, he's upset because he _hurt_ you. He loves you so much that he's losing sleep over the fact he has caused you pain, alright? Please, please, Lou, just go and see him. Don't give him any false hope though."

She sighs, seeming to consider it for a moment. "Fine, fine," She concedes and I cheer a barely audible 'yes!' before she continues. "I'll go see him, but you owe me big, Bella."

"I just got you to go see _him_," I say while rolling my eyes. "You're not the one who owes me."

She laughs. "Bye Bella."

"Bye."

The call ends, and not a mintue later I recieve a text with Tom's number. I smile in thanks to my friend, saving it to my contacts and calling it immediately. To my surprise, it's picked up on the third ring, his voice immediately greeting my ears. "Hello?"

"Tom, it's Bella," I say in a business-like tone.

"Oh," Is his articulate reply. I roll my eyes.

"We need to talk."

He sighs audibly. "Yes," He admits. "Yes, we do."

We arrange to meet at the Starbucks John works at as he's not working today and it's usually empty. When I get there he's already there, which I'm surprised about as I was only two blocks away. He's sitting in the shade and as he looks up when I stand in front of him, I _finally_ see his eye colour.

_Gold. _


	8. Chapter 8

**Plot belongs to gaara king of the sand. Twilight belongs to SM. **

**So, again its almost four here. XD Whoops, but it's alright this time cause I was asleep all day yesterday. But I do have to get up at eight tomorrow cause I'm going to comic con. :) It's probably gonna end up being the weirdest day of my life. XD Oh no. **

**Enjoy! :D**

I breath a small sigh of relief. Thank _God_. I'm not sure why, but that colour... It just seems _safe_. It's Carlisle and Esme Cullen's eye colour. It Emmett Cullen's eye colour (I don't know him well, but he seems nice). It may also be Rosalie and Edward Cullen's eye colour, but I don't think they would ever even _try_ to hurt me, no matter what my brain is trying to make me think I saw in the woods on the day of my injury.

Almost immediately after I've registered the eye colour, I slump down in the seat in the seat across from him. "You seem relieved," He says, his words rife with doubt while he eyes me cautiously. "Why is that?"

"Your eyes," I murmur in reply, waving in his direction. "I just..."

He sits up straighter in his seat, shock marring his expression. "You've seen this colour before?"

I nod, leaning towards him. "Yeah. There's like... A whole family with that eye colour down where I live."

Several emotions I can't comprehend pass across his face. "Did I hear you right? A _family_?" He demands. I nod. "How many?"

"Seven," I reply, confused by the question. But by the look on his face after I've answered, 'Seven' must mean a great deal to him.

_"Seven?!"_ He repeats, raising his eyebrows. Again, I simply nod. Then he silently sits back in his chair and looks down at the floor, or his shoes, I can't tell. Suddenly, after an agonising few minutes, he chuckles lowly, and shakes his head. "Let me guess..." He whispers. "Last name Cullen?"

"Yeah," I say, surprised. "How did you know?"

"What are their names?" He asks, instead of asking my question. I stay silent. "_Names_," He hisses after a moment, and I roll my eyes.

"No need to get aggressive," I mutter, and his eyebrows disappear into his hairline. "Well, there's Dr Cullen and his wife, Esme, and their five children, Emmett, Alice, Jasper, Rosalie and Edward. They're all adopted. The youngest, Edward and Alice, are about my age."

"Ah," He breathes out, cocking his head to the side and watching me carefully. I stare straight back. "Dr Cullen... First name Carlisle?"

I smile, shaking my head slightly. "You've met, then?"

"Once," He whispers. "A very, very long time ago."

I sigh in annoyance. "What's that supposed to mean? You're in your early twenties, Dr Cullen's in his early thirties. If you've met before it can't have been that long ago."

Tom smirks at me as if I'm stupid. I grit my teeth. "You don't understand," He tells me simply. "You could never understand."

"When did you meet?"

"If I told you-"

"_When?_" I press, slamming my hand down on the table.

He purses his lips, eyeing me dubiously. "Fine," Tom finally concedes. "I met Carlisle Cullen around a century and a half ago."

My mouth drops open, as I can't tell if he's joking. If he is... He's weirder than I thought. If he isn't...

Well, let's just say it explains a lot.

"What?" Is my final, well thought out, articulate response.

"You heard me," He hisses back, lowering his voice to a whisper. "You know what I said."

I shake my head, forcing myself to not look at him; to not make eye contact. "It's impossible," I mutter, finally, but even I can hear the doubt in my voice; I'm such a hypocrite. Hear I am, the girl who can see anybody's future, telling someone that something is impossible. I, of all people, should know by now that _anything_ is possible.

"Do you really believe that?" He challenges, and I give him a withering look. That is the only answer I will give. Tom chuckles quietly. "Really? You don't have anymore questions?" He asks mockingly. I sink in my seat, once again looking away from him. "No more objections?"

"Actually," I finally say, sitting up and looking him straight in the eye. "I do have a few questions."

"Then ask them."

"How old are you?"

"Old."

"When were you born?"

"A long time ago."

"When was Carlisle Cullen born?"

"Ask him yourself."

"Have you met any of the other Cullens?"

"What do you think?"

"What are you?"

"Ha! Wouldn't you like to know?"

"Yes, that's why I asked. Why are you such an ass?"

He raises an eyebrow instead of replying, inhaling deeply. For a moment he is silent, before he nods to himself and looks straight into my eyes. "You don't need to know who I am, Bella," He tells me softly, gently, like he cares all of a sudden. "It's dangerous."

"Exactly!" I hiss, keeping my voice low as a couple enters the coffee shop and the one worker eyes us warily. "I need to know to keep Louise safe. I can see that you love her, but if it's dangerous, you won't want to put her in that danger, will you?"

Tom sighs, placing his head in his hands. "You're right, surprisingly," He tells me, and I roll me eyes. "I want to tell her, for I can hardly bear to keep a secret from her, but to tell her would put her in danger, and she does not deserve that. She has never deserved that."

"Tell me what it is," I implore, almost reaching forward to take his hand, but I restrain myself. "And I will tell her, if it would pain you to do so."

"I can't," He whispers, eyes shifting towards the couple and worker. "It would put both our lives in great danger."

"Would it really?" I ask. "Or is it just a matter of the wrong people finding out I know? Because I wouldn't tell anyone. I promise."

"How do I know that?" He challenges, and rightly so. We only met yesterday. "Maybe I can trust you now, but how do I know that the moment I tell you you won't go running to the authorities? I mean for God's sake Louise told me your father is the chief of police!"

I sigh, placing my head in my hands. "Then answer a few questions, please?"

"Sure," He nods, leaning back in his seat.

I choose my first question carefully. "Why did you try to convince me you don't sparkle like that?"

He looks up at the ceiling, a pondering look in his eyes. Finally, he answers, but he doesn't look back down. "I can hypnotise people," Is his easy answer, and my mouth drops open. He looks at me then, and smiles slightly at my expression. "But for some reason it doesn't work on you. That's why you can see me sparkle."

"And why Louise can't," I finish for him. "Why _do_ you sparkle?"

He just shrugs. "It's what happens when I go into the sun."

I nod, as nothing seems to surprise me at this point. The silence is defeaning for a moment, and I get lost in my thoughts. So when the worker comes up to us and asks if we're actually going to order something, I practically fall out my seat. "Uh, yeah. A hot chocolate."

"Same," Tom says, not looking away from me with laughter in his eyes. "We'll come and get them in a minute."

"Don't bother," Says the worker. "No one's here. I'll bring them to you." Then he walks away, but he's back within five minutes, two hot chocolates in hand.

"Thanks," I smile, taking mine from him. Tom doesn't say anything, and the worker practically runs away.

I spend the next ten minutes looking out the window, slowly drinking the hot drink. As I look over I realise Tom hasn't touched his. "You going to drink that?" I ask, raising my eyebrows. He chuckles, shaking his head.

"I prefer animals," He tells me. "Well... Only the stuff that keeps them alive."

I nod, having no idea what he means. Then my phone vibrates, and I pull it out to find a text from my mum, telling me to come home. I look back up at Tom with a sigh. "I have to go," I tell him, standing. He nods, and waves, but does not do anything else as I walk away.

As I walk to the door I begin thinking of everything he has told me. He sparkles... In the sun... Which is weird. He can hypnotise people, and has been hypnotising Louise. He only eats what keeps animals alive... Their hearts, maybe? No, because that's not that weird. They sell animal hearts and brains at supermarkets... What else keeps animals alive? Oxygen? No, he can't _eat_ oxygen. What else keeps them alive..?

It comes to me just as I step outside. It's cooler now, but it's not the temperature that makes me freeze. I know what else keeps them alive.

_Blood_.

I turn to go back inside, but as I look through the window all I see is an empty table. Tom is already gone.

And he's a _vampire_. I'm sure of it.

Even though my mum has just texted me telling me to come home, I find myself running to Louise's house. She visited John today, so I'm sure she won't be in the best mood with me, but she has to know.

Whether or not she'll believe me is another issue altogether.

As I run I again think over every new piece of information with an even more critical eye than before now that I know what he is, or now that I've _guessed_ at least. He can hypnotise people, and he admitted to hypnotising Louise. Who knows, maybe it wasn't just the sparkling he was hypnotising her about? Maybe he hypnotised her into thinking she loved him? Maybe he hypnotised John into cheating on her? Maybe, and Dear God I hope not, but maybe this golden-eyed kindness is all just a facade, and he is just waiting for the right time to strike?

These questions destroy me.

As it grows slightly darker, I begin to see shadows where there aren't any. I hear voices in the whispers of the breeze. I see a golden-eyes figure running next to me, in front of me... Attacking me. For some reason, as I run, I can't help but feel that someone's eyes are on me, watching my every movement with an unwanted interest. I try to dispel these thoughts, but it becomes increasingly difficult. My steps feel too heavy; sound too loud; feel too painful. The sky is too dark, and yet the lowering sun still seems too bright, the golden-orange rays reminding me too much of the colour I desperately want to forget, but will probably definitely see again before this trip is over, and will have to go home to soon. As my thoughts suffocate me, I become worried I'll trip, but for some reason the thoughts are what keep me steady. I have to get to Louise, and spilling my blood doesn't seem safe right now.

Once I reach her house, I see that her parents' car is gone, so they've probably gone out. But the light for her room is on, so I assume that she, at least, is home. I bang on the door, and when she doesn't answer I simply hold my finger on the doorbell, so it rings continually. Even through the front door I can hear the shrill sound. After a few moments, the door finally swings open. "Not interested," Is her immediate reply when she sees me, trying to close the door again, but I stop it with my foot, wincing in pain.

"I need to tell you something," I say urgently, pushing the door open again. "Please, just listen to me and I'll go."

She doesn't invite me inside, opting instead to lean against the door frame and folding her arms. "Fine, tell me," She says coldly, and I can tell that her visit to John has not gone well.

"Tom's a vampire," I say bluntly, waiting for her reaction.

As I expected she would, she laughs, throwing her head back before fixing me with a cold look. "What the Hell is wrong with you, Bella? First you want me to forgive the guy who cheated on me, and now you're trying to tell me my boyfriend - who I love very much, by the way - is a vampire?! What's _wrong_ with you?!"

"I didn't ask you to forgive him!" I splutter, that part being the only part that properly registered in my brain. "I asked you to _see_ him. He cheated on you, I get that, so he doesn't deserve your forgiveness. I just wanted him to see you so he wouldn't kill himself! And I'm not lying!"

"So Tom _told_ you he's a vampire?" She asks sceptically, amusement dancing through her eyes.

"No," I tell her and she rolls her eyes. I glare at her. "But he _did _tell me that he can hypnotise people. He's been hypnotising you."

"You're insane," She says, trying to shut the door again. This time, I don't have time to stop it, but I do cry out in shock when a white hands stops the door from closing instead, and as relieved as I am to see it, as it's owner will convince Louise that I'm not mad, I flinch at the sight of it. "Tom," Louise breaths, but he stops her from continuing.

"Bella's right," He says, and even my eyes widen, as I still doubted myself, even at this point. "She's right. I'm a vampire, and I have been hypnotising you."

Louise looks at me before looking back at Tom. She takes a step back from him, and he steps towards her. "Stay away from me," She says, almost running backwards. "Stay away!"

"But I only hypnotised you to make you think I wasn't sparkling. I never hypnotised you to do anything, or to love me. I wouldn't do that, I wouldn't hurt you," He says with a pleading tone.

I place a hand on his shoulder. It's marble hard and cold as ice. The moment he feel my touch he turns, looking at me with pleading eyes. "Tell her," He implores. "I'm like the Cullens. You know I won't hurt her."

I nod at him, as I can see quite clearly that he loves her, and even if 'being like the Cullens' doesn't mean what I think it does, then it won't matter, as he won't hurt _her_, at least. "Louise," I turn to my best friend. "It's okay, he won't hurt you."

"How do you know?!" She shrieks. "He's a blood sucking demon! He eats people!"

"I don't!" He cries, looking more hurt than I have ever seen anyone look. "I only drink animal blood! I don't hurt humans!"

"How can I believe you?!" She hisses, grabbing a lamp off the small table in the hall and thrusting it at him as he takes another step into the house. I step in after him and close the door behind me, to keep the neighbours away.

To my surprise, Tom hesitates before answering, and turns to me. As he looks into my eyes the words 'I'm like the Cullens' rings through my mind, fresh, as if he had said them to me in that moments, and not a few moments before. And then the words 'I prefer animals' hits me like a ton of bricks. "He doesn't eat people," I say lowly, but confidently. "He eats animals. Animal blood."

She lowers the lamp slightly, breathing heavily, her eyes darting back and forth between us. "How can you be sure?" She finally whispers, looking frightened.

"There's a family like him," I tell her, taking a step forward. "Down in Forks. There haven't been any people going missing down there, and not nearly enough in Seattle for a family of seven vampires." I'm not sure about this, so I look to Tom for confirmation. He nods, and I sigh in relief.

"You live with _seven_ vampires?" Louise demands, looking horrified.

"Near," I correct. "And they haven't hurt me, or anyone. In fact, one of them's a doctor."

She lowers the lamp fully now, her eyes wide. "Maybe we should talk," Tom suggests, stepping towards her. This time, she does not back away, choosing instead to simply nod breathlessly. I follow them as Tom guides her into the kitchen, reaching out to her and then looking hurt when she bats him away. I just shake my head at him sadly.

Once we're seated at the table, a glass of water in hand, Tom turns to the both of us. "Alright," He breaths, looking apprehensive. "What do you want to know?"


	9. Chapter 9

**Twilight belongs to SM. Plot belongs to gaara king of the sand. I'm not entirely happy with this chapter. I might revamp it later. ****And it's only two in the morning this time! Well... half two. XD**

"You're a vampire?" Louise asks, stating the obvious.

"Yes," Tom states, nodding at her, trying to look her in the eye. She looks away.

"You drink blood," I say next, more of a statement than a question.

He nods again, looking down at the table. "Not humans," He mutters. "Only animals. Never humans. Never again."

"Have you ever killed a person?" Louise asks, and I can tell by the hard look in her eyes that she is - for the moment, at least - unwilling to defrentiate Tom from us, to call him a seperate species altogether, to accuse him of killing _our_ species.

"Yes," Tom answers bluntly, and somehow I'm not suprised. He said he met Dr Cullen over a century ago, and I bet he's older than that. I doubt he has been drinking animal blood all that time. "Everyone does, in their first year at least. There aren't many animal drinkers out there."

"Why in the first year?" I ask, genuinely curious.

"When we are first changed," He replies, "The thirst... is so... _overpowering_ and _consuming_ and _painful_, that we can't help but slaughter the first human we come across, unless we're in the middle of nowhere or our creator is there to stop us, although not many creators don't want their creations to kill a human. In fact, there is only one vampire I know of who has _never_ drank human blood, and his creator wasn't even with him. Now... Bella, you know who I'm talking of, of course?"

"Dr Cullen," I reply, my eyes widening.

Tom smiles and nods, his golden eyes sparkling with laughter. "Your Carlise is very unique... Although, if he created this family of his, I don't doubt that he isn't so unique anymore."

I frown at him. "He's not _my_ Carlisle," I tell him, and he chuckles, shaking his head.

"You have met him, no?" He asks, and I just raise my eyebrows. He laughs again, at some memory, I presume. "Then he is definitely _your_ Carlisle. He is enthralled with every single human he meets, whether you are his patient or not. Whether you like it or not, Bella, you have yourself a pet vampire, even if he keeps his distance."

My eyebrows raise higher, and he laughs again. Louise is staring at him in a mixture of fear and wonder. "Are your eyes that colour because you're a vampire?" She asks suddenly, and she has that lovey look in her eyes again.

Oh God...If they start kissing I'm leaving.

"Yes," He nods. "Although gold is unusual. Animal blood... Dilutes? The colour, I guess. You can tell which vampires drink human blood because their eyes are red, although when we're hungry our eyes turn black. I've noticed that my eyes turn black quicker now that I drink animal blood than when I drank human blood. Animal blood doesn't make us as strong as human blood does, so I guess that's why we get weaker quicker... I guess." He looks slightly confused himself as he finishes his explanation.

"Why did you seem surprised when I said there were seven Cullens?" I ask next, as it seems Louise has run out of questions. Even I feel as though we know enough about vampires already, so now I want to know about my vampire neighbours.

Tom laughs again, and Louise stares. I look away slightly. "Well," He says, eyes dancing with amusement. "Vampires usually travel alone, maybe in twos or - rarely - threes. And if they're travelling in pairs they are almost always mates. We just don't have the capacity to hold friendships as you do. Even when we travel in threes it's very easy for the one who isn't mated to leave. Now, there are only two covens I know of who have more than three, although there are probably more. Firstly, there's the essential vampire kings, if you like. A coven in Italy names the Volturi. They keep our kind in line, but they're human drinkers and often get into scraps with each other. In fact the only reason they don't fight for food. Humans tourists are found and their food is literally given to them, they have no respect for vampire or human life. Secondly, there's Carlisle's coven. Seven vampires, living as a family. That's completely unheard of. I think it's the animal blood. There's no point in fighting for it as it tastes vile and the hunt isn't as exciting as hunting humans. It gives us a larger capacity to love." He pauses for thought, looking up at the dark ceiling. "Well... There are huge covens in the south, but they're armies more than anything else. There's a lot of fighting for territory over there, which, personally, I don't understand. It's very sunny. Very hot. The humans are often sweaty and don't taste as nice. But territory seems to be a big thing to the vampires down there. There's lots of battles. Most of the vampires down there are pretty scarred."

He and Louise are staring at each other as he trails off, and I can tell that she has taken almost everything he has said to heart. Soon, they will have a very quiet conversation about what will happen now she knows he's a vampire, and then, they might start kissing, and the 'let's ignore Bella' game they like to play will begin.

"You don't sound like a big fan of the Vulteri," I comment, leaning back in my chair.

"Volturi," He corrects, still staring at my friend. "And no, I'm not." He leaves it at that. I think it's time for me to leave.

I stand, my chair scraping against the floor. They look up as though someone just shocked them. "I'm gonna go," I tell them. Louise stands too and hugs me. I make sure not to touch her back. Her future is in Tom's hands now, and I trust him to take care of her. "I've got to fly home tomorrow," I say. "But it was really nice to see you again." I turn to Tom. "And it was nice to meet you, eventually."

He smiles slightly, standing and putting an arm around her waist. She smiles slightly, and I can tell by her expression that she is still getting over the fact her boyfriend is a vampire. I don't blame her. I'm still getting over the fact that I have seven vampires living down the road, and one of them is my doctor!

The next day I fly back home after a very teary goodbye from my mother, and an awkward hug from Phil. Charlie seems happy to see me as I walk in around lunch time and almost immediately go up to my room, flopping back onto my bed, sighing as my head hits the pillows. How the Hell am I going to face school with five vampires tomorrow?

The next morning I consider pretending to be ill, but I just shake myself out of it and steal myself for what is to come. I roll my eyes at myself. I sound like I'm going to war. As usual, I walk to school, avoiding using my truck. I definitely don't want to draw attention to myself now. Once at school I go to my locker to sort out my books, but me being me I drop most of them. Before I even have a chance to pick them up, however, a white hand has them piled and in front of me. I look up to find Jasper Hale standing there, with a strained look on his face. "Here you go ma'am," He says, and I detect a hint of a southern accent. As I take my books from him I notice a ridged, cresent shaped scar on the palm of his hand as the light reflect off it. Tom's voice fills my head: _There are huge covens in the south... There's a lot of fighting for territory over there... Most of the vampires down there are pretty scarred._

I almost drop my books again in shock. Is it seriously possible that this teenager was in a war? A _vampire_ war? Well, considering he's an immortal he might have even served in a human war before he was turned. Maybe even world war one or world war two. Or the battle of hastings, but I doubt that completely. He can't be _that_ old, surely.

"Are you alright?" He asks with concern. and I exhale heavily, nodding my head.

"Yes," I answer, and I'm proud my voice doesn't break. He nods, but also moves his spine so it's almost a bow, and swiftly turns away, almost jogging back down the hall. The small assembly of students already making their way to homeroom **(A/N Have I got that right? We have form here in the UK, so I'm not sure about schools in the US)** look at his retreating figure in shock. A Cullen _actually_ helping someone and or talking to someone? Wow.

I manage to get through until lunch without any more vampire interaction, and even at lunch I get to the cafeteria before they do. Jessica waves me over to their table, and I smile as I walk over. "Hey," Jess squeals enthusiastically. "How are you?"

"I'm good thanks," I say, toying with the end of my left glove. Jess notices, and before I even get a chance to ask her how she is, she is asking another question.

"How come you always wear gloves?" She asks, and I sigh before answering.

"They're comfortable," I shrug, and she looks like she's about to object until Angela and Ben sit down next to her.

"Hi guys," Angela says quietly, in her usual manner. "How were your weekends?"

Jessica immediately launches into a conversation about how she went down to first beach and is probably going to end up dating one of the guys from La Push. Angela and I share an amused look, smirking slightly as she rambles on. Half way through her story I notice all five of the Cullen children walk in and sit down. Today I sat so I would be able to see them when they walked in. Finally, Jess finishes her story, and Angela turns to me. "I went to Arizona," I tell her, and she smiles, telling me to go on. "It was nice... I saw my mum and my friends. My friend Louise has a new boyfriend. I think he's a relation of the Cullens."

In the corner of my eye I see every single Cullen tense, even Emmett, who I always think seems pretty easy going. "What do you mean?" Angela inquires.

"He was_ inhumanely_ good-looking," I tell my friend, exaggerating imhumanely. The Cullens tense again. I almost laugh; but I have to back-track now, as I don't want them suspecting me, not just yet. "But that's it really. He was tanned, isn't adopted, plays for the school football team. He moved over there when we were eleven but we never paid him much attention; we get loads of new kids. But he's a nice guy; he's decent."

The Cullens visibly relax as they hear my lies, and, once again, I almost laugh. They're so easy to mess with; so paranoid. Well, I guess I would be in their situation too. In fact, I _am_, although there's more chance of it being discovered they're vampires than there is of someone finding out I can see the future. Plus, there's can be proven. Mine can't, as far as I know. I'm not even sure why I'm being this mean to them, but when you have some leverage on the most dangerous people in town you have to experiment a little bit.

Well, either way I'm going to stop now. I don't want them knowing anything has changed.

Next I have biology with Edward, and for most of it he ignores me. But towards the end he speaks. "Hello Bella," He says politely. "How was your weekend?"

"I'm sure you heard in the cafeteria," I answer. "It is a small room."

He doesn't say anything after that, and neither do I.

After I suffer through gym (Basketball - hooray!) I go back to my locker to resort my books, and basically stuff them all into my bag. But before I've got the second book in my bag, and figure comes and stands next to me. I turn to face him. "Hi," I say curtly, before turning back to my locker.

"Hello," He says, polite as always. "I was just going to apologise for not talking to you in class. It was rude of me to just stop the conversation like that."

I shrug, not looking at him. "Not really. It was barely a conversation, anyway. It's fine."

I finish putting all my books in bag, turning to go. But Edward is still there, and he's blocking my way. I slam my locker shut. "Excuse me please," I say, and he doesn't move, just stares at me with his bright golden eyes.

_Animal drinker_.

"I was wondering if we could talk," He says uncertainly.

"We just did," I point out, attempting to move past him, but he blocks my way again.

I sigh, pursing my lips and looking up at him. "What do you want to talk about, Edward? The fact that you seem to hate me? The fact that you barely talk to me anyway? The fact that you eavesdropped on my conversation at lunch? We have nothing to talk about! Please, just leave me alone!"

For a moment he just stares at me, and then he opens his mouth as though he's about to object, but suddenly a pale hand slams into the lockers between us. Both of our mouths drop open in shock as we register Rosalie Hale standing with her back to me, and I can see from the side that she is glaring at her brother.

_If looks could kill, jeez._

"You heard her," Rosalie murmurs, smiling a deadly smile at her adopted brother. "It's about time you leave her alone, don't you think?"

Edward opens his mouth to speak again, but Rosalie digs her nails into his arm and literally drags him away. He shoots me an apologetic look as he stumbles behind his sister.

Wow.

It seems Rosalie is big on keeping the secret. Well, she cares about it more than Edward, at least. That was... unexpected, to say the least.

Once I finally get home I - as usual - go straight to my room. I quickly get the small amount of homework I was given out of the way before I, once again, lie back on my bed and allow my mind to be filled with thoughts of vampires.

And I thought I was the biggest freak in the world.

After a while I get up and go to my window, watching the world go past. Although, it's not like my house in Arizona where I could see the traffic move past at slightly-faster-than-legal speeds. Here, only the very occasional car goes past. It's dull and slow. I miss home.

Eventually I rest my hip against the windowsill, thinking about nothing in particular, until I remember what I may have realised about a blond vampire earlier in the day. I pull out my phone to call Tom. "Hello Bella," He says, and he sounds cheerful. He must have saved my number.

"You and Louise made up then?" I presume, and he laughs joyfully. I grin.

"Yep," He says, and I can hear the smile in his voice. "She's at school now though. Did you want to speak to her?" He sounds confused, and I roll my eyes.

"If I wanted to speak to her I would have called _her_, not you. I wanted to talk to you about my, uh, rat problem," I stammer on the last words; I don't want to call them rats, especially not to him. He is one of them, after all, but I have no idea if they're listening or not.

"Yes?" He says grimmly. He knows what I'm talking about.

"Well," I begin, willing my voice not to break as my anxiety spikes suddenly. What if they are watching? "One of the rats, it's a breed specific to hot countries. Like in the South, and it's very scarred; looks like the other rats have taken a bite out of him."

"Ah," Tom says, and I can tell he's no longer smiling. "Animal, I presume?"

"Yes," I answer.

Tom sighs. "Bella," He mutters quietly. "Can you still hear me?"

"Yes," I murmur back.

"I can tell you're worried they're listening, and to be honest they're probably not, but it's best to be safe. They won't be able to hear me at this level unless they're in the room, which I highly doubt, anyway, so keep _your_ answers brief. Now listen, this vampire, if they have survived the southern wars, were probably on a diet of human blood for quite a while, and probably had quite a lot of it. They will struggle with the animal diet. Now, the only way they could have survived the wars was by killing, so they'll be very strategic, and very protective if they are mated. Does this vampire have a girlfriend or boyfriend?"

"Yes," I whisper, shaking slightly now. Tom seems distressed, and something in his tone has my undivided attention.

"Then it's important they don't find out about you, Bella," He says roughly. "Very important. If they find out you know they're vampires then this southern vampire won't hesitate to kill you. If you know then you are a threat to their mate, do you understand? Carlisle is much too trusting. This vampire could easily stage your death as an accident, and he would believe him. You must not give yourself away, do you understand?"

"I understand," I answer quietly after a moment, shaking like a leaf. He says goodbye and hangs up soon after. Am I really in that much danger? Why did I almost give myself away at lunch today? Oh God, I'm screwed.

Well, at least I have another reason to stay away from them, and a good one this time.


	10. Chapter 10

**Eek! Sorry this took so long, but Christmas and New Years and school. Ugh. XD Exams too. Too many freaking exams. And I am really sorry this is slightly shorter than usual. This chapter was hard to write.**

**Twilight belongs to SM. Plot/title/Bella's power etc etc belong to gaara king of the sand. Also, question: Can anyone spot the Bastille lyric? I hope I got it right. XD It's a lyric from Pompei, which I do not own. **

Since he told me about Jasper, I haven't spoken to Tom, but I _have_ been watching the Cullens. And from what I've observed, I'm not sure Tom is entirely right. Well, about some things. Jasper being in the Southern Wars makes sense. But about the killing... And about Carlisle being too trusting. I don't think Carlisle would buy it if Jasper was to kill me and stage it as an accident, especially if Jasper had already expressed an interest in killing me.

About a week ago, Carlisle came into the school and did a talk in some of the Juniour and Senior classes about what it takes to become a doctor. Edward watched him carefully throughout the whole thing, even though he could ask his father about anything he missed at home. I got the feeling that Carlisle has great control over his children, but not in such a way where he treats them badly. Just in the way where they respect him so much that they willingly follow him, and would do the end of the Earth.

Edward keeps trying to talk to me, but whenever it's out of the one class we share, Rosalie is always there to drag him away. Whether it's outside or in the middle of the corridor, she is always there. It's quite unnerving.

Apart from that, I haven't had much interaction with them, but I've found that whenever Edward walks away or is dragged away, I find a deep longing for him to stay. It worries, and scares me, and I'm tempted to look into his future to see if that holds an answer, but his future last time terrified me, and I'm worried I'm going to see that last seen again.

Those cloaks and the fire still haunt my dreams.

Admittedly, I have a lot of questions for Tom. Jasper seems to be in pain when he's close to humans, but relaxes a bit while around his family, and I can only guess that it's because he's struggling not to kill anyone. I want to ask Tom about Carlisle, and how could he possibly be doctor if it's so hard for vampires to be around blood.

Every morning, when I leave the house to go to school, I cringe as I see my truck. I do like it, I do, but I started it once to move it slightly in the drive so it would like I've been driving it and I almost flew out the window the engine was so loud. I think I'll just keep walking to school, even if it is further than I'd like to walk every morning.

But when I woke up this morning, I really did contemplate either driving today or just calling in sick. For when I woke up it was because the _sun_, of all things, was glaring through my window, reflecting offof every shiny surface and trying to blind me at every turn. And when I was dressed and had my bag packed and opened the front door, I found that it was also slightly warm. Rosalie Hale's brown leather gloves immediately became too tight and hot and I heave a sigh. Crap. It seems to day is going to be a day of future seeing. But I'm gonna be an optimist about this.

"Bella!" Jessica squeals when she spots me walking into the lot (I did walk, in the end. Completely glove free). I notice she's wearing shorts and a vest. It's warm, I know, but not quite _warm_. To be fair I'm wearing jeans and a t-shirt with a light jacket in my bag, where as I'd usually be wearing a coat and leather gloves and at least two layers on my top half (probably a shirt over a t-shirt). "How was your weekend?"

"It was good, thank you," I tell her, even though I literally did nothing. Nothing at all. Well, except reading and staying in bed and homework, but I'm sure everyone else's weekends were a lot more exciting. "How was yours?"

"It was boring," She says without hesitating, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "The rain stopped us from going to the beach, so we all ended up just staying at home. We didn't even meet up at Angela's house like we used to because she took her brother's to Port Angeles."

"Well, we'll ask her about that later," I say softly. "Let's get to class. Perhaps we can go to the beach after school? It is warm today." She beams at me, and I know I have plans.

At lunch the plan is proposed to the rest of the group, and the eagerly agree. So when school is out, I find myself packed into Tyler's van with everybody else, heading towards La Push. It's a little bit colder at the beach than I expected it would be, though, so I put on my jacket, shoving my hands in my pockets. Once Tyler has spread out a picnic blanket he found in back of his van we all sit down facing each other talking over each other in groups or pairs. Soon after, a group of boys come over to our small gathering, and I recognise one of them as Jacob Black. I give him a quick hug, thanking the Lord that he isn't wearing a vest like two of the other boys, who, like Jess, are in shorts and a vest. It's warm, but it's not that warm.

Most of the guys go off to play football **(In my mind this is soccer... I think. Again, UK stuff. XD Someone might have to help me with this.)** but Jacob sits next to me. As he does, his hand brushes a patch of skin just above my wrist, and I freeze as his future blinds me.

_He's an average teenager. Decent grades. A prank here and there. An army of friends. Gets on with everyone. We see each other occasionally, and then his whole future shifts. He's with other boys, wearing a vest and cut-offs, even in the snow. He is constantly surrounded by huge dogs, wolves, maybe, and like Edward's future, the forest is going passed at blinding speeds. I am there again, and I think the Cullens are too, but it's too blurry to make out. Something is changing his future; it is still being decided._

I freeze completely, my breath catching as I stare straight ahead. Angela notices after a second. "Bella?" She asks softly, and I look up. She's saying something else, but the words aren't registering. "Bella?" She asks again, and I stand up suddenly.

"Actually," I say, shaking my head slightly in an attempt to clear it. "I'm not feeling to good. I think I'll et home now. It was nice seeing you, Jacob."

"Do you want me to drive you?" Angela asks, concern etched over her face. "I can ask Tyler for his keys."

"No, no," I smile slightly to let her know I'm okay. "The fresh air will do be good. I'll see you at school tomorrow." She nods, but the concern hasn't disappered. I know she will be watching me until I am out of sight, so I resist the urge to run. I just need a minute to clear my head.

However, once I know I am defnitely out of sight from them I begin running. I haven't been to this part of town in a very very long time, but somehow my feet know where to go and I find myself in my room in no time, even though I know I've been running for at least twenty minutes. The moment my bedroom door is shut, I throw myself onto my bed and stare at my hands. They don't look different, but something has changed.

My gift has always been limited to my palms. Jacob touched my wrist. No, not just my wrist, _above_ my wrist.

Is my power growing?

And his future... What is it with boys in this town and the forest? I know now that with Edward's future the forest was shown like that because he is a vampire, who can probably run much faster than I was seeing. However, Jacob is clearly not a vampire. So is he destined to be one? And if he is, why didn't I see it?

What's happening to me?

Now _that_, is a question I don't want the answer to... Well, in some respects. Today, obviously the Cullens weren't in school because of the sun... And I found that I sort of missed them. Well, maybe not all of them, as I haven't spoken directly to Emmett, at least, but I found that I missed Edward most. I missed his interest in my life, and I think some of the other students missed to spectacle of Edward being dragged by the arm or the ear by his sister down the halls to the exit. I missed his calm demeanour, and I found that I sort of craved his presence, and I don't need Tom to tell me that there is something especially wrong with me if I am craving a vampire's presence.

But it's more than that. Without him there, without him sitting next to me in biology and walking me next to my class (or attempting to before Rosalie gets to him) I didn't feel quite as... as... _safe_. It took me quite a while to admit that to myself when I identified I felt different today, that I felt safer when he was there. I hated identifying that. I hated the thought that I only safe with him there... Well, no, that's not quite right. It's not that I don't feel safe at all, without him there... I just don't feel _as_ safe.

I hope.

Again, I find myself staring at my hands. They look the same. They _are_ the same. But I have always hated them for the power they hold. Now, that power is moving, and I don't know how far it has moved, or how far it will. I'm pretty sure that my hands still hold this power, but my arms now hold it too. If my gift is evolving like this, how long will it be before I completely hate myself; before I completely hate my entire being?

Considering how quickly it spread from my palms (I'm almost certain the curse was still contained to them when I moved to Forks), in a matter of months I may be decking myself out of polo-necks, boots and balaclavas. But if I do that, I will be even more of a freak. I might as well face my own future, and try to ignore any others I may see. I should try to focus on the present, and try not to worry about someone else's future, as it is none of my business. It's never my business.

"Bella?" Charlie calls my name from downstairs just after I hear the front door open and close. "Are you home!"

"I'm upstairs!" I call back, not moving from my position on the bed. I hope he heard. But then I know he hasn't, as I hear him coming up the stairs and my door opens suddenly. I sit up so he can see I'm okay. "Sorry," I tell him. "I did answer."

He just shakes his head and smiles his smile. It warms my heart slightly. It never occured to me how much I missed my dad. "That's okay," He replies. "I'll order pizza or whatever you want tonight if you like, and we could watch a movie... Unless you have plans?"

"No," I grin, as spending some time with my dad actually sounds really nice at the moment. Up until now I feel as though I've been more of a room mate to him than a daughter, or even a relative, and it occurs to me that because of my angry refusal to come to this town in the summer, we hardly know each other, not really. "That would be really nice, thank you. I'll be downstairs in about an hour. Just got to get some homework done."

He nods, smiles again, and leaves the room, gently shutting the door behind him. However, instead of doing homework, I, once again, stare at my hands. It's times like this I wish I could see my own future; then I'd be able to test how far the power has spread... Well, maybe that's what I need to do. I need to test it.

But who would I test it on?


	11. Chapter 11

**As usual, plot belongs to gaara king of the sand and Twilight belongs to SM. I am very very sorry for the long wait. Enjoy. :) (please read the A/N at the bottom).**

Today I am wearing a t-shirt.

Well, not just any t-shirt, a hardly-any-sleeves-whatsoever sort of t-shirt. With slight lace detailing near those almost non-existent sleeves. And it's _freezing_. I do have a jacket, but that would just defeat the purpose of today. Today: I am going to test my power. I'm not sure who yet, and I definitely have no idea _how_, but I need to know how far it's travelled up my arms.

I walk to school again, as today especially I don't want to draw attention to myself, as I'll probably be _trying_ to draw attention to myself all day, and I don't want any certain vampires finding out my secret on today of all days.

"Bella!" Jessica squeals, rushing to give me a hug, as she always does. Unfortunately, however, _she_ is wearing a jacket, and so I don't see her future. Which I never thought would be a bad thing.

"Hi, Jess," I smile back, and Angela smiles at me in greeting. "How are you?"

"I'm great!" She almost shrieks. I notice Angela take a small step back. "I think Mike might ask me out!"

A grin spreads across Angela's face. "That's great Jess! Now, come one, we need to get to class." As she says this the bell begins to ring, slightly muffled as we're on the other side of the parking lot in relation to the school. Of course, as soon as _I_ begin to move, however, I trip over the smallest rock in existence. I manage to right myself, but just before I do I feel two cold hands on either side of my elbow.

_It's Edward's future, and it's the same as before. Except for one thing. The scene of the forest, which before was of it going so fast it was almost hard to keep up, but now, it slows, and suddenly a deer is dead at his feet, a small amount of blood dripping from his mouth as he straightens up. The last image still gives me chills, the fire... The cloaks... _

"Bella?" His voice brings me out of my haze as he pulls me up so my back is straight. "Are you alright?"

"Uuuh," Is my fantastic reply, and I shake my head slightly to clear it. "Yeah... I'm fine."

He turns me to face him, placing both hands on my shoulders. His fingers blush the exposed skin just underneath my sleeves. For a moment my breath catches as his future flashes before my eyes again, and I cringe. Edward searches my face, concern etched over his. "Are you sure you're alright, Bella? You don't seem quite well."

I almost feel like I want to cry. Here is a man, who is a vampire, who I have just seen _being_ a vampire, and my power is all the way up my arms - to my shoulders at least. For a very short moment, I want to just blurt out everything, just mutter it to him in the hopes _he, _of all people, might understand. But no. I came here for a normal life. I came here to escape all the death and stuff that was going on in the city. The last thing I need is to become involved with a vampire. Well, _another_ vampire. So I just nod my head, mumbling a quick "I'm fine," Before stepping out of his grasp and walking to class.

I'm late. He simply waves me to my seat.

Or at least, I think he does. My ears are ringing slightly and it's hard to hear... and breathe...

For the rest of the day I try to completely avoid the entire human/supernatural population of the school. I didn't think it would be so easy to test my power; I thought I'd have to be tripping and stumbling all day in the hopes someone might catch me, or I'd spend most of the day trying to come up with a plan that has less of a chance of making me bleed and starting a vampire frenzy. So, to make sure I wouldn't chicken out or talk myself out of it, I didn't bring gloves _or_ a jacket. Great.

At lunch, in an attempt to avoid everyone else I pretend to revise at one of the picnic benches outside. There are only two other people out here and they are both wearing thermals and coats. I shiver and grit my teeth in jealousy.

The next morning, I wake up with a high temperature and a stuffy nose. My head is pounding worse than yesterday morning, and my eyes feel scratchy. "Bella!" My dad bangs on my door. "If you don't get up now you'll be late!"

"Kay, dad," I whisper it, but my voice still comes out scratchy and hoarse. I wince as a sting of pain goes through my throat. My door opens.

"Bella?" Charlie comes to crouch next to my bed, placing a warm hand on my forehead. "Woah, Bell, you're burning up."

I think he says something else, but it's muffled as his future plays out before my eyes. _His life continues as normal. He gets through each trial calmly and confidently. He leads me down the aisle to a faceless man. I'm not in his future after that. His life continues. One day, there is a shooting in Port Angeles. He is shot. He dies before they get him to the hospital. _

As my vision clears, I find him staring at me anxiously, and tears well in my eyes. I have just seen my father _die_. My _father_. I saw Renee die too, but it always differed, and I trusted Phil to keep her safe. Also, my dad has always been a constant in my life. We may be quite uncommunicative, but I have always known that if I wanted to go to Forks he would welcome me with open arms - as he has - and that if I ever needed him in Phoenix he would be there within the day, or would be packing his things and on the way to the airport before he'd even hung up the phone. Renee would probably forget I needed her by the time I hung up.

Turning my head, I bury my face into my pillow and sob into it. I didn't want him to die like that. I never want him to die at all, even though I know it's inevitable. "Bella!" He exclaims worriedly, moving slightly closer to me. "You're not going to school today," He says quietly after a moment. "I'll be back in just a moment, Bells. Stay right here."

He leaves the room quietly, and even through the door and my sobbing I hear him talking to someone - on the phone, I assume - until I hear the creak that indicates he's making his way down the stairs. I almost panic (he's not leaving me, is he? Can't he see I need him?) but then my door is opening quietly once again and he's back, holding two paracetamol and a glass of water. He sets all of it onto my bedside table. I take the pills gladly, only slightly wincing as they scratch my throat, lying back down and waiting for my headache to dull. My crying has stopped by now.

"I called the school," He explains quietly. "And I'm going to work from home today. Help you get better."

"Thank you," I murmur, and he smiles kindly.

"I'll let you rest," He says, standing. "But I'll be back if you need me. I'll only be downstairs. Don't try to shout; just text if you need me."

I manage a small smile (followed by a sneeze), and then he's gone. I relax completely into my pillows. Sighing softly, I surrender to sleep. I have small recollections of waking up in the night due to my blocked nose not allowing me to breathe, so no wonder I'm so tired. I just hope I'm better by the morning.

I'm not better for a week. _  
_

_A week._

However, at the end of the week I manage to get out of bed, which is a first. "You look a lot better, Bella," Charlie comments as I come downstairs. I smile in agreement. He runs a hand over my hair as I sit at the table. "That's good."

What's good? I don't know. His future is flashing before my eyes. It hasn't changed since Tuesday. But that's no the point.

The point is that I saw it.

_I saw it. _

_How?!_

He didn't touch my skin. He didn't touch my neck or my arms or my forehead. He touched the hair on my shoulder which is being covered by a jumper. He touched my _hair_.

I can see the future _through my hair_.

Oh. My. God.

Suddenly I feel more sick than I have in a very long time, including my recent illness. This shouldn't be possible. I was right. I'm going to have to wear a full body suit just to go outside. Just to give people privacy. No. This isn't fair!

Blindly, I rise from my seat at the table. I barely hear Charlie ask where I'm going. I think I reply something about going for a walk. I can't be sure.

As soon as I'm sure I'm deep enough into the forest, I being to run. It's Edward's future all over again. Clearly I need to find a new way to proccess things. Well, hopefully this time I won't end up in the hospital.

I continue to run blindly, my breathing getting faster with each step and my limbs burning as oxygen is unable to get to them. But I continue to run. I think some part of me, deep down in the complicated messed-up depths of my brain, is making me run from my problems. But that's impossible; _I_ am my problem. I am the cause of all of them.

At some point during my flight, I notice a strange sound. A sort of... crackling. Like a fire. Internally, I begin to panic, but even as I register this I don't stop running. A forest fire is defintely something to run from.

I may be alert enough to register the sound, but I fail to register when it gets louder. And it does, louder and louder until suddenly I am in front of the first itself. It's not that big. I could easily smother it with my jacket. But then it moves; at first I think it's spreading, but then I realise what the fire is. It's a bird, and great wings are stretching from it's body. As it turns towards me, it's vast wings flapping once, sending a gust of warm air toward me, I see that it is a beautiful creature. It seems to be made of fire, glowing softly in the subtle light. It's coal black eyes stare at me. a small twinkle in them. For more than a moment, I am mesmerized. But then I realise I must be hallucinating. I am seeing a bird made of fire. I could handle vampires... But this...

Clenching my hands into fists, I turn to walk away, still not taking my eyes off of the creature. But as I watch the creature moves again, this time opening it's mouth, and it begins to sing, still not taking it's unblinking eyes off of me. I feel as though I should be afraid, but the song is so calming. It's gentle and yet sharp, piercing my mind and making my every sense more alert than ever before. And yet I can feel myself relaxing, barely even quesitoning it as the bird is submerged in a white light and the singing cuts off. The light completely covers the space surrounding the bird, and I have to shield my eyes. But as the light fades, it is not the bird standing there, but a girl. She is no more than twelve years old, and her red hair glows brightly, like the bird's feathers. Her dress is also bright red, almost glowing. Her eyes are a quizzical black. "Who are you?" Is all I can ask, once I regained my voice.

The girl barely hesitates. "I'm a Phoenix. I do not remember my name." She pauses for a moment, pursing her lips in thought. "However, if I did I probably wouldn't use it anyway. Names have no meaning for my kind after a few centuries."

"A Phoenix," I repeat blandly, my hands relaxing slightly. My nails had been digging into my palms.

"Yes," She confirms, and gives me such a look of open trust and understanding that I can't help but believe her. I relax further. She cocks her head to the side, her expression morphing into one of concern. "What troubles you?"

"Nothing," I answer automatically. "I'm fine."

She sinks to the ground, crossing her legs in front of her. For what seems like a long while she says nothing, simply stares at the ground runs her fingers through the grass. "Sit with me," She finally whispers. I comply, having no idea where this might go. "Tell me what troubles you." When I say nothing, she sighs loudly, looking back at the ground, her dress reflecting in her expressive eyes. "I'm not the first supernatural you've met," The girl states confidently; then she looks up. She studies my eyes for a few minutes. I don't know what she might find there, and I'm afraid of the answer. "You have met a monster," She finally murmurs, sympathy saturating every syllable.

"They're not monsters," I say defensively, for some reason defending them automatically. "They don't hurt people... Or they try, at least." She stares at me confusedly for a few moments, and it occurs to me she doesn't know what monster I have met. "I've met vampires."

Realisation touches her features. "I've never met a vampire," Is all she states, and we lapse into silence once again. It's not uncomfortable, although I feel as though it should be. Instead, I feel completely safe and relaxed, as if nothing can happen to me with this girl here. After a while, she speaks again. "Your heart is pure." She says it as if I'm meant to know what it means. "Please tell me what haunts you."

I purse my lips, as I want to tell the girl everything. But I decide on half of the truth. "I see things I shouldn't. Things I shouldn't see."

"Ah," She says softly, her eyes closing slowly. I expect that to be the end of it, and as she doesn't move I almost get up to leave, but then she suprises me. "You see the future."

My lips tremble. I elaborate for her. "I see death."

Her eyes flash open. "Of course," She says it in such a way that I feel as though she must understand, that she knows exactly what I'm going through. "That must be very hard for you. To see the trails your loved ones go through. The see the ways in which they might die."

"They way they will die," I correct, looking away from her for the first time. I hear her sigh heavily, and as I turn back to her she is much closer than before, leaning towards me with a serious expression reminiscent of Paddington Bear. I jump, and instead of apologising she takes one of my hands in both of hers.

"Dearest Bella," She chides softly, "Surely, you of all people, understand that the future is not set in stone. No one has one set path."

"But... when... when my curse makes me see things, sometimes they're the same," I try to explain, but I stumble over my explanation. My voice breaks twice.

She shakes her head softly. "Their futures are the same because that is the path they are on. The future is not set in stone. It's never fixed. And what you have, the power you hve been born with, is a gift, not a curse. You get to see someone's path before anyone else. You see the wonderful things they do. You see their happy memories."

"I see their deaths."

"Yes," She agrees, her grip on my hand tightening comfortingly. "That is unfortunate. But, sometimes, you must see someone who finds peace? Who lives a long, comfortable and happy life and dies just as they lived."

My mind goes back to Phil, and I nod minutely. She grins a brilliant smile, her dress and hair glowing brighter; her black eyes sparkling. I can't help but give a small smile back. "There you go," She says triumphantly, squeezing my hand. "Your power is a _gift_, Bella." I don't ask how she knows my name.

A part of me wants to contradict her, to tell her her logic is flawed and a matter of opinion. But I don't. The song from before is still playing somwhere in the ressesses of my mind, and somehow it still has that calming effect, even if I am not actually hearing it from the source. Another part of me wants to cry at the absurdity of this. Maybe I should never have moved to Forks. I left Phoenix to escape the death and destruction of the city, but instead of the quiet(er) life I was hoping for, I have been presented with vampires and a phoenix. Maybe I am going insane.

As she lets go of my hand it occurs to me I didn't see her future. I don't question this, either. It just seems to be one of those things to leave for another time. As I think this, I realise there is a part of me that knows I will probably be seeing the Phoenix again after this meeting, and even if I don't, my journey into the supernatural world has only just begun.

**No one got the Bastille lyric. It was 'But I'm gonna be an optimist about this'. Now, I have a new poll that is asking whether or not you want Bella to become a Werewolf, a mermaid, a phoenix, a vampire, or a dragon. Please vote. **


	12. Chapter 12

**Guys I'm sorry I didn't update earlier today - But I do have a valid excuse. I spent the day in London where I went to King's Cross Station (with the Platform 9 and 3/4 Shop, where I got a Platform badge and a HufflePuff badge) and I also went to a huge Foyles shop where I got Quidditch Through The Ages and all the Harry Potter books in paper back (the covers are beautiful O.o) and I also went to see Les Miserables in the West End. But unfortunately someone was hit by a train earlier in the day so there were huge delays and loads of cancellations. Fortunately, my train was not cancelled and only delayed by an hour and a half. Not that bad if you have Wifi (which I didn't, so it was actually really boring). **

**So! Uh, anyway, plot belongs to gaara kind of the sand; and Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer. Enjoy the chapter! :)**

**That is similar to the AN I wrote last Wednesday. However, just before I was about to upload the chapter loads of flashing adverts appeared all over all the tabs and I basically went 'shit, no.' and shut down my computer without saving the chapter, and so everything was lost. For about two days I contemplated what to do as I was afraid to turn on my laptop. Then on Saturday I was woken up early by my mother telling me that my father would be picking me up soon so we could get our flight to Paris. In the half an hour I had before he arrived I tried to rewrite the chapter on the Wattpad app to copy and paste into an existing file on fanfiction. I don't usually like to write on the Wattpad app because it has no word count or spell check. I barely managed to write 500 words. And so when I got WIFI at Heathrow airport I was desperately trying to update before my flight, which clearly didn't happen. And then imagine my horror when I found there was no WIFI in Paris. I went for my cousin's Christening, so I didn't have much time to update even if I _did_ have WIFI. I was meant to fly back today, but unfortunately my plane has been cancelled and I'm not getting another one until Saturday. When I was told I said some very choice words and begged my father to drive me to the airport, where I knew I could get WIFI. So now I'm sitting in the airport car park trying to rewrite everything. XD That was really long, I'm sorry. It's basically just an explanation on why this chapter might be crappier and shorter than usual - but I am seriously doing my best. Plus the poll is on for another chapter and it is actually showing on my profile now. XD Whoops. Enjoy. **

No matter how hard I try, I can't get the Phoenix out of my head.

Sometimes, when I think about the Supernatural world, and how I am now a part of it (and due to my power was probably _always_ a part of it), I begin to panic. But then the Phoenix song begins playing somewhere in the recesses of my mind, the memory of it calming me almost as much as the actual thing did when I first heard it. Something, something I can't determine, fills me with a sense of peace about myself. That maybe I'm _not_ inherently evil because of my gift. Maybe it is actually a gift, and not the curse I have labelled it as.

I think about talking to Tom. A part (a steadily growing part) of me wants to talk to the Cullens, but I don't know how to go about it. Edward has spoken to me more than once, but Rosalie always drags me away. I thought about trying to stop her, but there's something intimidating about her that tells me she would rip my face off if I laid a hand on her... Or she just wouldn't listen to me and pull Edward away anyway. But still.

But then whenever I think about talking to Tom and asking him advice on how to approach a vampire, I think about how I defended him to Louise, and how I defended the Cullens to the Phoenix when she called them monsters. I realised that to approach them, or to even answer to Edward, I couldn't keep thinking of them as vampires. Vampires are associated with evil, which I have already defended the Cullens against. I need to just think of them as regular people, as best I can, and approach them as I do my friends.

"Hello," Edward greets as he usually does as he sits next to me in Biology. He turns his face away as he sits down, and as I glance at him I find a small amount of hurt showing between his brows as I once again don't answer him. For some reason it sends a stab of pain through my heart. I try to correct it.

"Hi," I whisper, suddenly shy. He turns to me slowly and his lips twitch into a small smile.

"Hello," He repeats, his smile widening slightly.

"Hello," I repeat again, laughing lightly. We are quite early toclass, and the others are just starting to trickle in. He laughs as well.

"What have I done to deserve the honour of your company today?" He says it so formally, so gentlemanly that I wonder what time he was human in. Possibly the Victorian era, but depending on how well he conforms to society as it changes he could have been changed centuries ago.

"I was seated next to you when I joined the school," I tease, smiling to let him know I'm not serious. He smiles a crooked smile back. "And you're always so poilte. I thought it was time I returned it."

"It's just a hello. It's common courtesy," He waves away the word I have appreciated for a long time.

"Exactly," I tell him, desperate to not let him wave away his own kindness as if it's nothing, even if the only way I can justify my own 'hello' is by doing just that. "It's common courtesy."

He smiles once again, as it had fallen during my explanation. "You know I never got to ask," He says. "What brought you to Forks in the first place?"

I shrug, awkwardly I might add. "My mum remarried." When I see that he's about to question me, I elaborate. "It's not that I don't like him; Phil's great. He's good for my mum, and loves her a lot. I just... I wanted to spend some time with my dad before graduation. I never realised how much I missed him." Edward nods, smiling reassuringly.

"I often find I miss Carlisle when he's away for an extended business trip. I especially miss him when he _and_ Esme leave. Especially when they left us in the care off Emmett once, as he's the oldest. That was terrifying, and terrigyingly recent." He shudders, and clenches his eyes shut as if trying to dispel a horrifying memory.

I laugh quietly. "It can't have been that bad."

"It was," He implores, his eyes wide. "_Believe _me."

We're silent for a very short minute. Most of the class is here by now, but the teacher is not. "So how did you meet Carlisle and Esme? Were you in the foster system for long?"

"Not at all," He says nonchalontly. "Carlisle was my parent's - and mine - doctor. My mother asked Carlisle to take me in once I was better and they were dead, and of course naiive twenty-something Carlisle - who was unused to the death that accompanies his profession - assumed I would either die or one or both of them would get better. But I got better, they died, and he didn't know what to do. In the end he became my foster parent, and adopted me not soon after."

"Was he not with Esme then?" I inquire, immersed in the story that might not even be a lie. Who knows? Maybe 'adopted' is code for 'turned into a vampire'.

He shakes his head. "They had been childhood sweethearts, but split after going to different universities. They met again not long after he adopted me, and got married about a year later."

"That's lovely," I whisper, my eyes wide. This seems less likely to be true, but it doesn't feel like a lie. Perhaps it's just a spin on the truth.

"Yes," He agrees as the teacher enters the room. "There love is quite beautiful, as was their wedding." He chuckles lightly, and turns his attention to the front when the teacher calls for attention.

Throughout the lesson I find myself staring at him. I try to be stealthy about it, but by the way he smirks every time I look at him I can tell he knows and I'm not nearly as stealthy as I like to think I am. But then I comfort myself with the thought that if he's aware of my staring then he must be looking at me also.

After class we part ways to go to our respective lessons. Gym is, as usual, pure torture as I do have to participate now. But afterwards, I find Edward waiting for me outside the changing rooms. Lauren and Jess giggle at the sight of him, and Angela smiles at him politely. "Hello Angela," He says with a smile before turning to me. "Hello Bella."

Jessica and Lauren look scandalised that he doesn't say hello to them, and just as I'm about to open my mouth to say hello back, Mike comes out of the boys changing rooms. He looks around for a moment, but then his hopeful expression darkens into annoyance as he sees the four of us standing with Edward, but his expression lightens once again as he sees Lauren's and Jessica's put out expressions.

"Hi guys," He says cheerfully, coming to stand right in front of Edward. However Edward is taller than him, and so he simply looks down at the top of Mike's head with an amused expression.

"Hello Mike," He says, attempting to control his amusement but failing. A lot.

"Oh," Mike sniffs, barely turning around. "Hey Edward."

With another smirk, Edward steps to the side so he is standing beside Mike rather than behind him. "Bella," He says, once again formal. "I was wondering if I could accompany you to your locker?" He looks nervous, as if I'm going to say no. I did only start talking to him today, after all.

"Sure," I grin, stepping away from the group slightly. "I'll see you tomorrow guys," I call as I begin to walk.

Edward grins. He starts to walk with me. "Bye ladies," He drawls, winking at them. Jess and Lauren look ready to swoon, and Angela looks amused and dazzled. Mike just looks really annoyed.

"You didn't say goodbye to Mike," I chide him lightly, as we continue walking back to the main building.

He runs a hand through his hair. "Oh, I did." He winks. I laugh as I realise.

The halls are almost empty by the time we get to my locker. I take a quick look around as I open it. To my surprise Rosalie is nowhere in sight. Edward leans against the locker next to mine, watching me with what can only be described as a smouldering expression. "Will you stop trying to dazzle me?" I tease. "I get it. You're good looking."

Edward laughs again, the sound light and happy. "I'm surprised Rosalie hasn't turned up yet," He comments after a moment, looking down the hall. I nod in agreement as I continue to sort out my books. Just then I hear fast footsteps at the other end of the hall, and as I look up I find Edward looking at the source with an exasperated expression. I look over too, and I'm not surprised to find Rosalie rushing towards us with a murderous expression.

"Speak of the devil," I mutter, slinging my bag over my shoulder and closing my locker.

"And the devil shall appear," Edward finishes, pursing his lips.

"Haha," Rosalie snarls as she reaches us, seizing her brother's arm. "Nice try, employing Emmett to distract me." She turns to me, her expression not softening at all. "Sorry he's been bothering you."

Then she hauls him away. I can't help but grin at his expression. "See you tomorrow!" I call, and he smiles slightly, waving as she pulls him out the door.

The next day it's sunny. Which means no Edward. And unfortunately, according to the forecast, it's going to be sunny until the weekend. Great.

"Hey Bella." At least Angela says hello to me the next day. "How was your evening yesterday?"

"Good thanks," I smile at her; always grateful for her kindness. "I finally got that English paper out the way. How about you?"

She smiles at me. "Same. I finished an article about the school paper."

"What's it about?" I inquire, and she grins as she begins to explain, glad that someone is actually interested. And I am interested, I really am, it's just that when she begins to explain I hear my name being murmured not far away from where Angela are standing. I look over to find Jessica and Lauren looking at me with narrowed eyes. "...don't know why he thinks she's good enough..." I grit my teeth as I turn back to Angela. They're talking about me like I'm worthless. But a small smile twitches across my features as I imagine what they might be saying if they knew what Edward really is. Perhaps they wouldn't be so keen to be with him if they knew that.

"Sounds interesting," I say, as I my eyes flicker back to Angela once she has finished her explanation. She smiles widely.

"We should get to class," Jessica comments as they walk up to us. Lauren is glaring at me; I stare back with a blank expression. She looks away with a scowl after a moment, and I follow Jess and Ang to the main building.

As expected due to the sunny weather, the Cullens are nowhere in sight for the entire day, and I can't help but think that the reason Edward only waved at me yesterday was because he knew he wouldnt' be 'seeing me tomorrow'. `I wonder if he misses me, wherever he is, because I miss him, a bit more than I feel should.

**P.S The poll is actually visible on my profile now. :)**


	13. Chapter 13

A/N Yes.. Yes... I _know_ this is late. But I wanted to get this right (as I always do) but I _am_ really excited for this chapter. And I really enjoyed writing it. I hope you guys enjoy reading it too. :D Plot belongs to Zemrocku.

Dr Cullen's POV:

The first thing I hear as I make my way up the drive to my home - even with the house windows shut and my car windows rolled up - is my children arguing, and my wife attempting to mediate.

Had I known this is what life would be like if we moved to Forks... Well, I'm not sure if I would still move here or not. Life has certainly got interesting in the past few months, if not more difficult.

I hear something smash. I've never been more afraid to walk into my own house.

As I walk in, setting my brief case by the door and hanging up my coat (a prop, of course. I have no need for it), it becomes clear to me that Edward and Rosalie are at the centre of the argument. This is no surprise. Those two have always argued, and since Chief Swan's daughter moved here it has only got worse.

"What is going on?" I ask loudly, and for a moment everyone stops shouting and turns to look at me. But then the shouting starts again, but this time about each other and to me. It seems the other children had decided to take sides. Alice is standing next to Edward, while her husband is standing just behind Rosalie. Emmett is standing beside Esme, looking very uncomfortable. I get the feeling he is in disagreement with his wife, but is unwilling to go against her. "One at a time!" I amend, as they continue to scream, finally turning on each other as insults are thrown through the living room.

"Edward's being an idiot!" Rosalie accuses immediately.

"Rosalie's being irrational!" Edward shouts after her. I see Esme sigh across the room the shouting begins again; Rosalie and Edward turning on each other.

Those are the answers I've had for the past few weeks. Today seems different.

"What's different about today?" I ask, and the shouting stops again.

"Bella spoke to Edward today," Alice informs me, and I nod in understanding. Edward has been talking to Bella for weeks, but she hasn't paid him the same attention. As I look over I notice that Rosalie looks murderous.

"Which doesn't change _anything_," Rosalie snarls, taking a step towards her brother. Edward rolls his eyes.

"I can talk to her if I want to," Edward tells her, and Rosalie bares her teeth at him.

She turns to me. "Can't _you_ order him to stop talking to her? It's too dangerous!"

"Rose..." I begin, unsure how to word exactly what I want to say.

"No!" She exclaims, somehow becoming angrier. I feel Jasper's power wash over us, but it doesn't affect my daughter at all. "Don't you _dare_ say some crap about how we can trust him! He's already put her in the hospital once! And _she's_ told him to stay away from her! He's being selfish!"

"That was different!" Edward implores, looking slightly desperate now. "I wasn't exactly expecting her to be in the forest while I was hunting!"

"What if one day Emmett or someone isn't there to restrain you, Edward?!" Rosalie shouts, and the others sort of step away from them, hoping I'll sort it out.

"It won't be necessary again!" Edward shouts back, growing angrier by the second. "I'm sorry I wasn't expecting her to be in the middle of the woods while I was _hunting_, okay Rose?! And I think you'll find that I _didn't_ put her in the hospital as _I'm _not the one who _threw_ her!"

"Emmett wouldn't have _had_ to throw her if you hadn't been hunting her!"

"I didn't know she was there!"

"What kind of vampire are you if you can't detect one little human?"

"_What kind of vampire - _I was in the middle of a hunt!"

"You could have scouted the area first!"

"Since when did this become an argument about how good my senses are?!"

"Since you brought it up!"

"I did not!"

"Yes, you did! With your, _'I'm not the one who threw her!' _and your, _'What kind of vampire are you?'_"

"... You said that!"

"You repeated it!"

"Oh will you just-"

"_Enough_!" I decide to end it there; I'm afraid that if it goes on much longer the argument will get physical, and that wouldn't be good for either of their physical health or for the family. "Now," I continue, in a much calmer tone, making eye contact with both of the two in turn. "We are going to go to the dining room and discuss this like adults." I watch as they walked into the dining room, some of them sighing as they go. In just a moment, Esme and I are alone. She smiles at me weakly, and gives me a reassuring look before taking my hand and kissing my cheek. I sigh exasperatedly and she laughs quietly.

"Let's get this over with," She whispers, and I smile at her, kissing her cheek and walking into the dining room.

Esme and I take the remaining two seats at the head of the table. Esme, Edward and Alice are seated on my right, with Rosalie seated on my left. Jasper is standing against the wall behind her, studiously avoiding Alice's eyes. Emmett sits dutifully next to his wife, but keeps sneaking glances at Edward and Alice, almost apologetically. "Now," I find myself saying again. "What's going on? One at a time, and without shouting. Please say your side of the story. No one is to interrupt. Rosalie, you can go first."

I mainly allow Rosalie to go first just so someone doesn't start another argument about how Edward is my favourite. It's an ugly and untrue accusation that reflects badly on both Edward and myself, and I have no patience for it. Also, the time will give Edward to calm down and think about his side of the story and his answer so Rose can't contradict him. Sometimes Edward's temper is worse than his sister's.

Rosalie starts with, "Edward put Bella in the hospital." It's a fair argument, but we've been over it so many times I don't see how we can go over again and come to any other conclusion than _it was an accident_. Rosalie continues, "The day after, she spent the day here. Esme says she was really uncomfortable and we saw proof of that ourselves when we got home."

"Because you shouted at her for no reason," Alice interrupts and I give her a warning look. She slumps down in her seat.

"I know you have already said it's a natural human reaction to being in a house full of vampires," Rosalie states, frowning slightly. "But it's not. Not with her. You can see it in her eyes that she doesn't want to be around us, that she sees more than the normal human. I'm not saying that she knows what we are, exactly, just that while Edward was talking to her, or standing near her, you could see it in her eyes that she didn't want him there, and yet she wasn't afraid of him. Being around her is dangerous for us, but I also think that it's unpleasant for her in a completely different way than all the humans."

I'm just about to open my mouth to ask her to elaborate when Emmett begins to speak. His voice is a lot quieter than usual, almost subdued. "Basically, what Rosie is trying to say is that Bella looks like Jasper. Jasper left his old life to have a normal life, or at least to escape the pain and the violence. Then he fell in love and was brought here and he thought he might finally have a normal life with us - a family. But then finds out that we already have a talented vampire that is already wary enough of him because of his scars _without _ reading his mind, and _then_ finds out that the rest of us are basically insane, and that he can never ever have a normal life whether he stays with is or not. The look on Bella's face is one of someone who doesn't have a way out, but wants one desperately, and worries that the situation they're currently in _is_ the way out but ignores that possibility because it's not the situation they imagined when they left the old one."

Emmett goes silent as everyone stares at him. Some are surprised he has indulged his more serious side, as he so rarely does, but the only ones who look genuinely shocked are Alice and Jasper. Clearly they still don't know him as well as the rest of us do; Alice must not have seen that coming. From years of listening to Emmett's thoughts, I'm not surprised that Edward also isn't shocked, and of course Rosalie knows everything about her husband just as Esme and I know everything about our son, just because he is our son.

"Thank you, Emmett," I say, smiling at my son who is looking uncharacteristically shy. "That was very insightful. Rosalie, you may continue if you want to add anything."

My blonde daughter shrugs. "Emmett summed it up. I just think it's best we leave her alone. It'll be safer for us, and for her, and she will get the life she deserves. This situation she's in - surrounded by vampires - doesn't have to be it for her. If we leave her alone, that expression will never have to grace her features ever again. and there won't be any risk of Edward killing her and forcing us to move."

I nod as she finishes. Over the years Rosalie has got a lot better at calmly putting her point across, but will often snap at anyone who interrupts to contradict her. Thus the 'no interrupting' rule. "Edward," I turn to my son, who is sitting low in his chair, one hand on the table and the other on his knee, grating harshly against the fabric of his jeans. "Your turn."

He looks up at each of us before beginning. He starts similarly to Rosalie. "I put her in the hospital." He looks up at Emmett specifically. "It was an accident, but I will be forever indebted to Emmett for being there and restraining me. Because if I killed her..." He trails off, looking tortured, and I notice Jasper flinching out of the corner of my eye. I wonder what Edward must be feeling to cause that. My son looks up, looking at me this time. "I tried my best," He tells me, and I don't have to be Jasper to know he is being honest with me. "I tried my best to stay away from her. I did. But I can't do that anymore. I don't... I don't know what it is... I just..." I don't believe I have ever seen my oldest (and yet youngest) child so lost for words. I exchange a glance with Esme; it's worse than we thought.

Alice speaks from her chair. Like Emmett, she is much more subdued than usual. This argument is clearly taking it's toll on my family, and I do not like it. I hope it ends soon. "Bella's going to good to be good for us," She states, smiling slightly. "I can't quite see how yet, but I know that's something good is going to come out of it if we just stay as we are. Keep going as we are, and allow Edward to keep talking to her." She pauses, choosing her next words carefully. "I don't think any good will come out of it at all if _someone_," She glances up at Jasper nervously, "does anything to her, even if it's in the name of protecting our family."

"Well said, Alice," I commend her. "Edward, do you think you can elaborate on your feelings for Bella?"

He takes a deep, shuddering breath and takes a moment before answering. "I can't," He finally answers in a whisper. "I can't explain it. I... I just... She's..." I nod, and reach across Esme to place my hand on his. I'm sure the rest of the family understands exactly what is happening to their brother, even if they are adamant on denying it and Edward is blind to it.

"For now," I begin carefully, aware of everyone's eyes on me. "We're going to keep going as we are. Edward, you are welcome to talk to Bella, as long as-"

"Are you serious?!" I'm cut off by my daughter's angry screech. I look over and find Rosalie's eyes murderous, and her posture dangerous. Esme looks at her reproachfully, but she pays no mind. "I don't believe this! I delivered a perfectly good argument that clearly showed being around the Swan girl is on good for us or her, and this jackass barely says ten words and your siding with him?!"

"Rose," I try to calm her, but she is having none of it.

"No!" She shouts. "I'm sick of this!"

"Rose," Emmett murmurs, having an idea about what she is going to say, and not wanting to let her finish.

"You and Edward, always the perfect team!" She continues, disregarding her husband entirely. "Just because you changed him first, just because he's alone and your little golden boy-"

"Rosalie!" Jasper shouts now, shaking his head at her. I know where this argument is going, but I'm not going to interrupt further. Either she digs herself in deeper or she realises her mistake and calms herself.

"Just because he's your _favourite - " _And there it is, the thing everyone was trying to avoid. Now we just sit back and let her vent. "His opinion, and what you perceive to be best for _him_ overshadows what's best for us, or even for the whole family! It's sickening, and I'm tired of it. He's not perfect, you know, Carlisle. In fact, he's a lot less perfect than a lot of people in this table. Just stop. For the good of the family. Just _stop_."

The room is silent after she finishes, and I look down at the table. "Rosalie," I sigh, shaking my head slightly. "You know I have no patience for this argument. You know I do not tolerate it. It is inaccurate, completely untrue, and a pathetic argument at best. Please hand you credit cards to Esme -" I keep going despite Rosalie's protests, "-you will not be going shopping for a week. The next time you try and use this argument when I side with Edward, or any of the others, or you simply don't get your way, I will triple that time, and ensure Emmett is not allowed near you for a week, which is not something I want to do as it is as much a punishment for Emmett as it is for you. Now, hand your credit and debit cards to Esme and make your way upstairs. If I find out you have been shopping online I will also take away all electronics from you, which would include disconnecting the internet for the entire house, which wouldn't be fair on your siblings. If I were you I would think carefully about my actions from now."

With a murderous expression, she pulls out her purse and removes each of her cards and hands them to Esme. Alice helps ensuring that Rosalie has handed over _every_ card and then allows herself a small grin as Rosalie heads up the stairs on her own. Even if I had dismissed Emmett I'm not sure he would follow her at this point, as he seems quite interested in what I'm going to say, or what I was going to say before I was interrupted. I wait until we hear the door to Rosalie and Emmett's bedroom door slam before speaking. One of the good things about being a family of vampires is that if i have to send one of the children out of the room for losing their temper they can still hear everything that's being said.

"As I was saying, Edward, you are allowed to speak to Bella, as long as you are careful. Check your thirst regularly, and mind what you say. Don't give anything about is away," I instruct, watching as Edward struggles to keep a smile at bay. After a moment he nods at me, as if realising he hadn't acknowledged me. Soon after, I tell them all to go, although Alice and Jasper stay in the dining room, and I can tell they will be having a serious discussion about their opposing views.

Later that night, Esme and I are lying in our bed, simply enjoying each other's company. I can tell Esme is aware there is something wrong, but she simply allows me my time to work out what is troubling me before voicing it to her. Finally, I do. "Do you think I was too harsh with Rosalie today?" I ask, and turn my head to look at her, lacing my fingers through hers. She smiles at me, caramel waves spilling across the snowy pillow, and shakes her head slightly.

"No, I think you did the right thing. She was getting out of line, and has used that argument about you and Edward one too many times. You are right to not tolerate it, as it is rubbish and uncalled for," She reassures me, smiling again and sending a burst of warmth through me. Once again I find myself questioning how I got so lucky to have her. We are silent once again after that, until Esme speaks. "It's wonderful about Edward, isn't it?" She whispers, as our telepathic son is hunting at the moment, but we don't know how close to the house he is or even how large his range is. "I've tried so hard not to think about it; he needs to work this out on his own, but it is so wonderful! I've waited for this to happen for almost a century. I just wish it wasn't taking such a toll on the rest of the family."

"Me too," I tell her with a sigh. "I also wish it wasn't so complicated."

I look back up at the ceiling then, and I hear Esme sigh next to me as she relaxes deeper into my side. "I love you," I murmur, turning my head to kiss her hair.

She grins and laughs quietly. "I love you too." She turns so I can pull her into my arms properly. "You've done the right thing," She reassures me, then in a quieter voice, "I just hope Edward will too."

I can't help but agree.


	14. Chapter 14

**This will be the last time I make you guys wait so long for an update. The plot doesn't belong to me. Nor does Twilight.**

**Enjoy the chapter.**

**Edward's POV**

Bella...

There's something about her. I can't place it. Jasper thinks it's because I can't read her mind. Emmett thinks it's because it's harder to resist her than any human I have ever met. They're wrong. I know they're wrong. I just don't know how. I don't know _why_.

Bella is different in every way possible. She is intriguing. She avoids us, but not like the other humans who do is instinctively. She does is because she wants to. She does it because she knows something is different, but she's not afraid.

Bella's not like other girls. She's unpredictable. She's genuine. She's beautiful.

"Hey Ed," Emmett says as he sits next to me. We're in a random clearing in the middle of the forest. "Thought you were hunting."

I shrug. "I wasn't in the mood."

He nods, staring into the trees in front of us. After a moment, he speaks. "Sorry 'bout Rosie earlier. She just doesn't want Bella to be dragged into anything."

"I know," I murmur, staring down at my shoes. "I don't either. But..."

"But you can't let her go," He finishes for me, inhaling deeply. "I get it."

"Do you?" I ask, somewhere between sarcastic and sad. "I don't."

Emmett smiles softly, a far cry from his usual grin. "You will. In time. Just wait."

He inhales again, and as I breathe in I catch the scent of a herd of deer. He gives me one last smile, pats me on the back and goes running after them. I look back down at my shoes. Alice says we won't be able to go back to school for a few more days. I'm not sure I can wait that long to see her.

I only go back home a few hours later. Everyone is there, and Esme looks up at me as I walk in, her expression somewhere between worried ecstatic. They're all blocking me, and I don't know why. I can't bring myself to care.

"Son." It's Carlisle's voice. I look up to see him standing on the stairs. "Would you come up and talk with me for a bit?"

I nod, and he disappears back into his office. I follow, and as I do the rest of the family stands and begin to make their way out of their house. So Carlisle planned this. Super.

"What did you want to talk about?" I ask as I close his office door behind me. He only smiles and gestures for me to sit in the armchair in front of his desk while he sits in his chair behind the desk, all the while repeating the English national anthem in his head. I raise my eyebrow but otherwise comply without complaint.

"Bella," He finally answers to my question. I sigh and settle back into the chair, looking up at the ceiling. It still has the cracks where Emmett took the top off a wooden box a little too enthusiastically. I wonder if Esme has noticed yet. SHe should have; we've been living here for three years. But she had just painted the office when it happened so Carlisle went to great lengths to make sure she didn't notice without actually repairing the damage. I can only imagine she hasn't noticed for if she had it would have been fixed. She takes pride in her home. Finally, I look back down at Carlisle, my expression bored.

"What about her?" I ask, although I know full well _what about her_. I really should have hunted while I was out. I'm getting annoyed way too easily.

My father raises an eyebrow at my attitude but doesn't question it. After a moment he looks down at the ancient book open on his desk and carefully places the gold ribbon attached to the spine down the middle of it to mark his page. As he closes the book a cloud of dust rises about his face, coating his shoulders and arms. A human wouldn't notice it, however as a vampire I can't help but to.

He takes his time to speak, and when it does he hasn't thought it through enough. He has nothing to say. Well, no, actually he has a lot to say. He doesn't have the words to say it, not yet. "Edward..." Is all he can get out before falling back into thought. I block him to give him his privacy. However I can still hear it, and I know if I think back on this moment I will be able to remember what he was thinking in that moment if I chose (as I am choosing now) to ignore his thoughts. "What are your intentions towards Bella?" Is his first question, and it confuses me. I think about going back and examining his thoughts from the past minute or so, but instead I just leave it and ask a question of my own.

"My intentions?"

"Yes, Edward," He says, leaning forward at the desk slightly, staring at me intently. "Your intentions. What do you intend to do? Be her friend? Do you intend to stay by her until he have to move?"

Having heard so many dull, exciting, boring, witty and a whole plethora of other thoughts in my long lifetime, I am rarely one to be lost for words. But as I open my mouth to reply to my father, I find that I am now. With Bella... I hadn't thought of my intentions. She intrigues me, and when I'm around her I find that her glorious scent, her unpredictability, her kind heart and my own masochistic curiosity of her clouds all else. Even when I am not with her, I think of her and I wonder if she thinks of me. I wonder what she is doing and whether or not she is safe. I wonder if she will have a new bruise next time I see her, but that is about as far into the future as I go.

Where will Bella and I be in five years? Will I have found that in truth she is just as self centred and vain as the rest of Forks High School? Will I have been her friend and then simply have moved on after graduating that awful institution? Will she be dead? Murdered in a dark alley? Fallen down the stairs and hit her head? Killed in a freak weather incident?

And if that happens... If in five years she is dead... Where will I be? Will I be here sobbing my heart out to my parents? Will I care? Will I mourn her? Will I grieve for the rest of my existence?

Or will I run to the Volturi and beg to be executed? Will I be the one who killed her? Will I set fire to myself? Will I feel guilt?

Even the _smell_ of her blood makes my every instinct sing with anticipation. I can only imagine the _taste_. Supposedly (or, at least according to Emmett who unfortunately has experience in this) the taste is ten times better than the smell. If the taste of her blood is really that good then I cannot see myself feeling any amount of guilt.

But if the thought of the taste of her blood makes me tense, the thought of killing her makes me tense in a different way. The thought of killing _her_ makes me want to kill _myself, _even though it is blatantly only a thought. I have no idea what's going to happen in the future, but at this point I can't imagine a future without Bella in it, dead or otherwise.

Were I human, I would label this feeling as love. But, I am not human. And vampires love differently. This feeling is merely infatuation, and once I have discovered the secrets hidden inside her silent mind, and have grown accustomed to her scent, the infatuation will go away. She will live a long, normal, happy human life, and I will go back to my lonely existence.

Who needs intentions?

Hardly any time has passed. Carlisle has only just closed his mouth after asking his question. Sometimes being a vampire isn't too bad. Conversations like this are _a lot_ quicker.

"I don't see us anywhere," I reply to Carlisle at last, and he looks surprised, and slightly worried. I don't understand why. I am still blocking him, although it appears that isn't necessary as his mind is carefully blank. "This is just an infatuation that will go away. It's too dangerous for me to be around her. And there's nothing wrong with her being my friend at this point. It's to late for her to notice me not ageing, and she doesn't like it here. She doesn't like rain. She'll probably go back to Arizona for University, and I'll say I got accepted to one in England, or even Washington University. We'd be in completely separate places; it wouldn't be unusual if we just lost touch. Plus, Alice seems to like her, and I think Rosalie does too to en extent. But other than that - and that's something that doesn't seem very likely - I don't see this going anywhere."

Carlisle sighs, looking down at the closed book. He seems exasperated, and the only I can hear from his mind is seventies music, so I block him immediately. "Son," He says after a moment, stopping - once again - to gather his thoughts. I wait patiently, shifting my weight in the chair. "I want you to think..." Again he stops, and I know he's going to continue, but this conversation is weighing on me, so almost sarcastically, even though I know he can't hear me, I begin to _think_. I think about how as a human his hair seemed almost dull, but then when I was a vampire I couldn't look at him for a week because it was like looking at the sun. I think about how the ceiling _does_ actually really need to be fixed. I think about how Emmett will probably start some sort of argument and or wrestling match with Jasper before the day is done and how Esme keeps thinking about how she wants to make Rosalie apologise to me and Carlisle but doesn't know how to go about the subject. I think - "I want you to think about how Bella makes you fell." Carlisle interrupts my thoughts. He has interrupted his own order, but he has no idea I follow it so I think over his new words and take the new order to heart.

I nod at him, and stare down at my lap. My hands grip the arm of the armchair tighter, my fingers squealing against the leather. Carlisle winces. I pay him no mind.

How does Bella make me feel? Well, there a lot of answers to that. Annoyed, curious, happy (in a weird way I guess), infuriated at times, sad at others... Frustrated is a big one. And not the for the first I'm glad that Emmett isn't the telepathic one in the family because if he had heard _that _thought I'd be getting a lecture about the different kinds of frustrated and the one he thinks Bella is making me feel. At which point I would deck him and Carlisle would make me go hunting with him to cool down.

But I like the fact Bella makes me frustrated. I _like_ the fact that there is someone out there who is above my gift, who defies all odds. Who defies a _vampire_. I like the fact she makes me sad and happy and curious and angry because some of those are things I haven't felt in so _long_ and I almost feel _human_. I like being around her; I like the way I feel around her; I like _her_. I'm just not sure to what degree yet.

I'm not sure I '_like_ like' her as some of the girls at school would put it. As a vampire I certainly wouldn't put it that way, as for a vampire there is no crush. There is loneliness and then love. It's soul binding and scary and it changes you in ways you never imagined. I have never experienced such things myself but when you live with three perfectly matched couples you pick on things, especially when the resident empath begins spewing love at you every time he sets eyes in his mate. I like things _about_ her. I like her hair. I like her face. I like her personality, which, as her personality is, essentially, _her_, I guess means I like _her_ as a person, and not just a potential meal.

But there's also something around her that I feel _every_ time I'm around her, and _every_ time I think of her. I don't know what it is but it settles in my heart and doesn't let go until hours after. It's strange. It's different. It's new. It's scary. It's sort of exciting. It's-

Oh _god_.

I know.

I stand up abruptly, and my chairs moves, dangerously close to falling over. Carlisle looks up at me in shock and confusion. I run a nervous hand through my hair and swallow roughly. "I can't do this," I manage to get out before I run from the office and fly down the stairs. Jasper stares at me as I leave and as I notice him I can only think of the thought I picked up from his mind. He knew what I was feeling. It doesn't even occur to me to ask why he's in the house while everyone has left, or to ask _myself_ why I didn't notice him until now.

I only stop when I'm deep in the forest. I barely even notice that I end up sitting on the ground, slumped against the tree and breathing as if I actually need to breathe. What I was feeling... What Jasper realised what I was feeling... I don't like it. Well, I don't really know how I feel about, but I don't like what it might _mean, _because I was feeling hope.

_Hope_.

**Sorry if Edward was a little OOC. I liked writing this one, because Edward over thinks everything. Despite that it was still a little shorter than usual, but I think Edward wouldn't have looked into this, more ignored it or asked Jasper about it, and I have ideas for that to go in the next chapter. Hope you guys enjoyed it.**

**P.S. If this was depressing (or more depressing) than I usually write than I'm sorry. Some stuff happened and I think it's chanelling. XD**


	15. Chapter 15

**Okay, I know this is unbelievably late, but hopefully this won't happen again for a while because yesterday was finally the last day of school! Now I have seven weeks to just relax and update and watch the rest of Supernatural and finish Death Note and Grimm and all the other animes/shows I've started (except maybe Bleach because that's just... _long_). You can tell I've been planning this for a while. XD The first thing I did today when I woke up was get my mum's laptop so I can finish this chapter and start the next one (because the mouse pad on my laptop has stopped working for some reason. Does anyone know anything about that?).**

**I don't own Twilight. I don't own the plot. Enjoy. (P.S. I'm so pleased because Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 is on Tv at this present moment :D.)**

**Alice's POV**

"Hey Jazz," I say softly as I place myself next to him on our bed. He's rubbing his temples and he looks pained, but he manages a weak smile at me.

"Hey," He murmurs quietly, moving an arm to wrap around my shoulders. I lean into his side and look up at him with concern.

"Are you alright?" I ask, and he sighs heavily.

"It's Edward," He groans, and I almost crack a smile. "He's got so many emotions running through him, and I know he wants to talk to me about them, but then again what he's feeling _is_ really personal, and he's never been a particularly open person... Anyway, his indecision is giving me a headache. Did you see his talk with Carlisle?"

I did. It was sort of heart breaking to see my closest sibling so confused. I know he's not used to having things outside of his control or his comfort zone. Carlisle was especially saddened by it; it's been so long since he's seen Edward genuinely happy, and now he has the chance to be it feels like he's pushing the chance away. "Yes."

Jasper hums, frowning slightly. "Rosalie was interesting this week."

I frown back at him. Nothing seemed different about my hot headed sister this week, except maybe she was a bit more hot headed than usual. "How so?"

He considers his answer before speaking. "When she made the argument about Edward being Carlisle's favourite she didn't mean it as keenly as she usually does. Usually when she makes that argument it's because she's angry that Carlisle isn't taking her side, or she's just in a bad mood. But this time... She didn't do it because of that. She did it because - as we all know - saying that to Carlisle makes him think about his decisions. From what I could tell she actually felt kind of bad saying it. But she wanted Carlisle to really think about what he was deciding and what it would mean for all of us, Bella included. Rosalie is really trying to protect Bella. She's really trying to keep her out of our lives."

At this I frown heavily, and I pose my next question to Jasper without expecting an answer. "Doesn't she see how miserable that would make our brother? I know they don't get along but surely she sees that he deserves what we have."

To my surprise, Jazz has an answer. "I think she's hoping he's not attached enough to really miss her in the soul crushing way that we would would we have to leave our mates. I think she's hoping that after we leave Edward will learn to be happy with what he has, and that we can get on with our lives. Even if that means she has to live with guilt of knowing she took Edward's one chance of true love away from him and that we have to live with the knowledge of it."

Sometimes it's amazing what Jasper picks up from the family just from their emotions. I can't imagine how stressful it must be for him, though. "Doesn't she realise Carlisle and Esme wouldn't let that happen?"

My husband shakes his head sadly, making his blonde curls sway slightly. "She wasn't there for his early and rebellious years. She doesn't know how he used to be and what his rebellious years did to him. She has only known him as an old, lonely soul who calls himself a monster and believes he won't find love. Rosalie never saw the change, unlike Carlisle and Esme who feel it keenly every day. All they want is for him to be happy, and Rosalie wants that too. But she doesn't understand that at this point, the only way for Edward to be happy is to find his true soul mate. He needs someone who can see past his flaws; who can see past what he has done and just love him for him."

"We all love him for him," I say immediately, hurt slightly by the accusation that we don't love our brother for who he is, even if I'm sure Jazz didn't mean it that way.

Once again he smiles slightly, and takes my hand in his, giving it a light squeeze. "No," He whispers after a moment. His eyes hold a repressed sadness I've never seen before. "We all love aspects of him. You love the fact you can share your visions with him. Emmett loves him because he's someone to wrestle with. Rosalie loves him because for a time they were close in the fact they thought they were monsters destined to die alone. Carlisle loves him because Edward is his first companion. Esme loves him because he was a child to replace the one she lost. I love him because he is my brother, and I know he would do anything to protect you. But that's not to say we only love him for the things he has done for us, or that we don't love him as a person. We all just have a defining memory of him that showed us our own affection for him. We can fall out of love with him. He could go a step too far in an argument with Rose, or he could make a mistake that would get you hurt and all of a sudden the people involved hate him. He needs someone who will love him unconditionally. Who will stand by his side even if everyone else falls away around him."

"We would never do that," I argue, glaring up at Jasper slightly. He just gazes back calmly. Out of habit, I look as far into the future I can to see if anything like that happens in our future, but Jasper recognises the look in my eyes and runs his thumb over my cheek, bringing me back to the present.

"I know," He says quietly, staring at me heavily. "But the truth of the matter is that Rose, Edward and I all have quite a temper. There is always the possibility of us rejecting each other in a fight that went too far and then being too proud to apologise. And you know how close Rose and I are. It's more likely to be us against him rather than him having someone on his side."

I bow my head at his words and stare at the bedding. Thinking about it, I guess I have always known that to be a possibility, but for me it's never been much of one. My jaw tenses. "No," I mutter after a minute. "I refuse to believe that will ever happen, but if it does all three of you are in a world of trouble and will drag you by your ears to apologise whether that means I lose an arm in the process or not."

When I look up at Jasper he is not even smiling. He looks completely serious and he stares at me as I straighten up with a strange look in his eye. Finally, he speaks. "I don't think it will happen either," He explains in a hushed tone. "I don't want it to happen. Edward is my brother as much as Rosalie is my sister. We should be fine."

I'm about to question him on what he means by 'should be', but he winces again and I know he needs to speak with Edward, and not just about him.

"Edward come up here please," I whisper.

We barely have to wait a second before a stubborn "No." travel up the stairs. Jasper rolls his eyes and laughs slightly.

"Edward it's important," My husband implores. "We just want to help."

"No," My brother says again.

"Please."

"Absolutely not. I'm sorry but it's not my idea of a fun evening to have my brother and sister pick apart my feelings, thank you."

I look at Jasper and smirk slightly, and my husband rolls his eyes at our brother again. In the end we go down to the living room, where Edward is sitting silently at the piano, his eyes closed. He sighs as he hears our approach. "I don't want to talk," He says quietly, but he sounds sort of defeated. I guess he's resigned to the fact that we're going to talk whether he likes it or not.

"It won't hurt a bit," Jasper smirks as Edward opens his eyes. My brother gives him a dull look.

"Just say what you need to say," Edward mutters, staring down at his hands.

Jasper takes a deep breath, staring at Edward until he looks at us. "Hope is nothing to be afraid of." Is how Jazz begins, and I want to slap him. Our brother knows this, and I can tell by his expression he is not appreciating Jazz's take on this. Edward may be the youngest out of all of us, but he hates being babied. Jasper continues: "Don't block it out. Keep hold of it. Let it grow."

It seems Jasper has hit a sore spot, as Edward looks pained suddenly. "I can't," He whispers after a moment. "Hope is just a metaphor for what I feel for Bella. If I let it grow, then my feelings, my attachment to her, grows, and I can't suck her into this. I can't pull her into the supernatural world. She deserves a normal life. Maybe I can be friends with her, and then leave. But that's as far as I can allow it to go, and even that's a stretch."

"Do you already love her?" I ask, exchanging a glance with Jasper as Edward's expression becomes more pained.

"I don't know," He replies, almost desperately. "I don't know what love is. I don't know if this is just an infatuation born of the fact that I can't read her mind and she smells better than anything I have ever smelt."

Jasper asks the question that will decide whether or not our brother is in love, although we both know the answer already, without visions or empathy. "Can you leave? Can you leave her?"

Edward takes a deep breath, staring out of the large windows. "Maybe if I leave now," He says, and Jasper purses his lips. "But I don't know if I can leave in an hour. I don't know if I'll be able to leave tomorrow."

My words come out harsher than intended: "Then how do you expect to leave her after being her friend in high school?"

He stares at us for a few moments before shrugging. "If I can convince myself she will be better off without me - which she will - then I believe I can make myself leave."

"What if you can't, Edward?" Jasper inquires softly, leaning towards our brother. "If you love her this much at this point, where she has only spoken to you _once_, then how are you going to feel if you've spent years getting to know her?"

"Like this, I imagine," Edward replies as nonchalantly as he can. "I don't think it can really get much worse than this."

"It does," My husband reassures him. "I know it feels like it won't because you're thinking about her all the time, but it does. It will."

Edward takes a deep breath that shudders slightly. He seems at a loss for words. "She makes me happy." He finally decides, glancing at us wearily. "I want to be happy. But I don't want it if it puts her in danger."

Jasper glances at me, disappointment written across his face. He tries a different approach. "But you want Bella to be happy," He whispers, capturing our brother's attention. "What if she's happy with you?"

"I'd still leave," He says stubbornly, and I sigh loudly. He pays me no mind. "She'd be much happier with someone normal."

"No," Jasper tells him simply. "Just no. She might be happy with someone if you were to leave now, but she'd still think of you and what might have been. If you were to leave after getting to know her she might not be able to handle it. You'd destroy her. Her grief might be too great for her, and for you. And even if she did manage to move on, what would you do? How long would we have with you, Edward? Would you waste away and watch her human life, forcing us to watch, only to force us to watch you die when she does? You could have eternity with her - with us, your family. But instead you are choosing eighty years of misery on a whole load of maybes."

Edward just stares at us for a long time before shaking his head slightly. He looks half desperate half defeated. "I can't turn her into a vampire," He whispers tiredly. "I can't drag her into our world. I can't do that to her. She doesn't deserve that. She deserves much better than me. I just... I _can't_."

It's hard watching my favourite sibling try to rationalise his own misery; his own destruction. I can see where he's coming from, but I don't think he understands just how _forever_ this kind of love is. He will never forget her, as she will never forget him. If they were to separate or be separated then their own grief would kill them, just as it would for Jasper and me, Rosalie and Emmett and Carlisle and Esme. This love can't be changed, especially now that he has admitted it.

"Edward," I murmur, and he looks up at me, his eyes pained. "We are your family, and we will support you in every decision you make as long as it does not bring danger. But we refuse to watch you're own destruction. You need to decide: leave now, stay with her forever, or kill her if you blood lust becomes too great."

As much as I love my brother, his ingrained stubbornness irritates me beyond belief. He's like a mule. "Those aren't my only options," He implores. "They aren't."

"They _are_," I murmur, taking his hands in my own. "Look into my mind and see."

I close my eyes as I show him the futures I have seen. One where he is in a tux, with a blushing Bella at his side in a wedding gown. Another with him alone in a hotel abroad somewhere, suffering as the world goes past outside. Another of him sobbing at Bella's grave, which ends with him in Italy. Another with Bella as a vampire, golden eyes glowing as she grins at her husband. Another, with Bella dead in his arms, his eyes red with her blood.

"The one with Bella's grave," He says quietly. "That could be it. That could be the future where I leave later. You don't always see the whole picture, Alice. I could leave. I could leave."

I shake my head. "That future came about when you decided you were going to leave so you didn't drain her, just after you met her. I haven't seen that future since."

"Face it Edward," Jasper says. "Please face your own happiness. We want you to be happy. We want you to know the love we have."

"No Jasper," Edward answers evenly. "I have to try. I have to do what's best for her."

My husband opens his mouth to answer, but Edward is already gone, the front door shutting behind him as he makes his escape to the forest outside. "Coward!" Jasper shouts after him, rolling his eyes and huffing. I frown and stare down at my hands. Jasper senses the change in my emotions and pulls me into a hug. He places a gentle kiss on my hair. "It'll work out Ali," He promises. "It always does in the end."

I look up at him, placing a kiss on his lips in an attempt to erase his grim expression. "I'm not sure it will, though Jasper," I tell him solemnly. "You know how stubborn he can be; how stubborn he _is_."

Jasper sighs but nods, agreeing with me. "Yes but we're his family. We'll look after him. We won't let him destroy himself, even if it means we have to kidnap him now and take him to Denali for a Bella detox."

I laugh slightly at that, but my mood doesn't allow me to find much amusement in it. Fortunately, Jasper decides to help me out, and suddenly my spirits feels lifted, even if it is artificial. "Thanks Jazz," I grin, kissing his nose.

"Anything for you Ali Cat," He replies, kissing mine. "Anything for you."

I smile at him for a moment and he smiles back, but after a moment I move away from him. "We need to tell Carlisle about this," Jasper reminds me. "We can't put the family in danger. He'll know what to do."

"The family isn't in any danger," I state, but the truth of the matter is that we might be. We've done well to stay off the Volturi's radar so far, which is saying something considering the size of our coven. But bringing a human into the mix, a very intelligent human who has already found irregularities in Edward's appearance, is dangerous. Very dangerous. I wouldn't put it past Bella if she had already discovered our secret. Especially if Edward ends up going to Italy to kill himself, and they find that we knew a human who knew our secret and we left her alive... Even if at that point she's dead that's enough to rightfully organise Carlisle's execution at least. We would all fall apart without our leader, and no doubt Edward would be offered a place in the guard. Esme would be... I don't even want to think about it.

A wave of calm washes over me, and I turn to find Jasper watching me with concern. "I love you," I tell him seriously, suddenly concerned that I don't say it enough, and that soon I won't have the chance or option to.

"I love you too," He says back, pulling me into another hug, his concern washing over me. "And nothing can change that."

I sigh. That's what we're trying to tell Edward. "Exactly." Is all I say, before smiling grimly and taking his hand before we make our way to Carlisle's study.


	16. Chapter 16

**Hi!**

**I just got back from a week holiday in York, and York is really cool it has the street Diagon Alley was based off, and it has loads of history and it's all really cool. But what was really cool was the fact that the flat we were staying in had a huge projector screen and surround sound so along with going to see all these cool things I also watched the first two LOTR and uh... Thirty two episodes of Nashville. Cinema style! :D**

**Now, even though I don't reply I do read all your reviews and I would first like to thank you for all the reviews and the time you take to review. :) It does mean a lot to me and zemrocku that you guys are enjoying the story so thank you so much!**

**Saying that, I know a couple of you guys have some concerns (well maybe not concerns, but... I don't know), but NEVER FEAR. While this chapter is another Cullen chapter, this one is MUCH more Bella centred, and we are back to Bella in the next chapter.**

**Twilight belongs to SM. The plot belongs to zemrocku. Enjoy! (P.S I am now officially obsessed with Supernatural but due to issues I'm stuck on season six.)**

**Rosalie's POV**

Edward is getting on my nerves.

To be honest, this isn't actually a new feeling, but he seems to be intent on annoying me more than he usually does. The worst part is that he's using a human to do it. The family (even Emmett) keep telling me that I should allow our brother to be happy, and let him be with this girl. But I don't want Bella to have to be dragged into anything she shouldn't be, especially this world. No one deserves that. Given the choice, I would give up this life in a heart beat.

I feel the bed dip as Emmett sits down behind me and wraps his arms around me. I smile. I wouldn't give up _everything_.

"Hi Rosie," He whispers, kissing my cheek. My smile widens. "Alice said the sun is going to go in later, so we can go into town if you'd like to. Then we can go back to school tomorrow."

This erases my smile. The last thing I want is to be stuck in that building where I'm forced to watch my brother fawn over the human. "Maybe we could just go for a walk," I murmur, and I turn in time to see a smile light up my husband's entire face. Immediately I take his face in my hands and run my thumbs over his dimples, kissing him soundly. When I pull away he looks worried. I expect him to give me the lecture again, but instead he simply smiles again, lifting my heart. Then he gets up, and goes downstairs, leaving me to my thoughts once again. I'm grateful for that. He knows me well.

Unfortunately, Jasper doesn't have that particular perk, and sometimes he's as bad as Edward when it comes to sticking his nose in.

My brother regards me carefully from the doorway of my bedroom. After a minute passes I raise my eyebrows at him in silent question, and his eyes narrow infinitesimally. "You're wrong, you know," He says quietly, and I almost roll my eyes. What am I wrong about _now_? "Edward agrees with you."

"What?"

"He agrees with you," Jasper repeats, frowning. "He wants to stay away from her. He's willing to torture himself if it means she's safe, and we both know that eventually that would kill him." I can only stare at him, letting the words sink in. That does sound like something Edward would do, masochistic as he is. "I know you're angry that we keep lecturing you on the importance of Edward's happiness, but you're not the only one we're trying to convince." Then he's gone, leaving me alone again.

The fact that Edward is denying his own happiness is really no surprise, but I didn't expect his reasons. He is one of the most selfish people I have ever had the displeasure of meeting, let alone living with. I can believe that he'd torture himself just to torture himself, but not to keep the girl safe. He's a control freak; the girl would be safe with him no matter how bad his blood lust got. Everything has to go his way.

I lie back on the bed and watch as the clouds cover the sun through our glass wall. It makes me feel more human when the sparkles fade from my skin. Usually on sunny days I keep my curtains closed; even when the house is changed by the sun into a place for freaks I want my room to be somewhere I can go, where I can sit without being reminded of my own nature. However today I needed to remind myself what we truly are and what Bella needs to be protected from, because I do care about Edward, and if his chosen girl was a vampire I would be with the others and urging him to be happy. He does deserve to be happy, but not at the cost of a human life, especially if that human has the chance to be normal; has the chance to be happy with someone else and have a family.

"Rosie?" Emmett always knows when I need him, even if we're not even in the same room. "Alice says we can go for that walk now." I nod and sit up, and the moment I do he pulls me into a hug. It takes me a moment to return; it was unexpected. "I love you," He whispers into my hair, and for some reason he sounds sad, or like he's trying to convince me of it. His grip on me tightens, and I reciprocate.

"I know," I tell him, placing a small kiss on his shoulder. "I love you, too."

He pulls away and grins at me, completely disregarding my worried expression. "I thought we could run into town and then just walk through; tell people we got back from camping early if they ask."

I nod, and he takes my hand easily, leading me downstairs and to the front door. As we pas through the front room Edward comes into the house and despondently makes his way towards the piano. _Edward..._ I say in my mind, and he glances up at me as Emmett and I continue past him. I gesture towards my husband, giving my brother a questioning look. Edward's mouth opens slightly as if he's about to say something, but he quickly closes it and looks down at his piano as we make it to front door.

Running is one of the one things I enjoy about this life. The speed makes me feel powerful; makes me feel the complete opposite of the night of my death. Feeling powerless isn't something I ever want to experience again.

Whenever Emmett and I go into Forks but we don't drive, I always fine it strange to run as a vampire, and be a vampire, but then the moment we step through those tress we're human again. Just another teenage couple, nothing different about us apart from our appearance. I know that doing that always jars Jasper a bit; going from vampire to human in a matter of moments.

We're stared at as we walk through the streets, but no one approaches us for a while. We don't do much; there isn't much to do in Forks, but as we walk past the hospital one of the doctors notices us. He quickly stubs out his cigarette and makes his way over as we try and avoid him. But unfortunately we can't run from him as that would humiliate our father, so we brace ourselves for the worst.

"Hey!" He says, and as we turn the smell of smoke hits us full force from his breath and his person. Even Emmett winces. "You're Carlisle's kids right? Thought he said he wouldn't be back until tomorrow."

"Yeah, we came back early," Emmett tells him easily with his signature grin. "Esme asked Rose and me to go get any work we missed from the school."

He nods, watching us with narrowed eyes. "Could you tell your dad that we need him here then? We're pretty backed up over here without him."

"Yeah, sure," Emmett answers, waving his hand. "But he might want to stay home with our little brother. The reason we came back was because he hit his head pretty hard, so he'll probably want to monitor him. He seemed fine but our dad's kind of over protective."

The doctor relaxes slightly, and it's only then that I notice his anger. I was about to tell Emmett off for saying that - surely it would complicate things. And why would he say that about the school? - but clearly he was angry that Carlisle had supposedly lied about how long he'd be away just to get a day off. Emmett was always good at reading people. "Okay," The doctor speaks after a moment. "Tell him not to worry."

My husband smiles easily and waves as we walk away, smiling at me as the doctor walks back inside. He pulls out his phone, sending a quick text to Carlisle. "Just gotta tell Carlisle that Ed has a head injury," He mumbles, putting his phone back into his pocket. "Guess we should go to the school now, huh?"

I scowl. I do not want to go to that purgatory on my day off. "Why?"

He shrugs, looking at the ground. "I don't know if that doctor has kids or not. They might go to the school. We might as well go, just in case. To keep up appearances."

I roll my eyes and follow him to the school. I don't really see why it matters, but if he thinks it's necessary to ruin our day then fine. Since we miss school so much the head teacher decided we should have packs put together so we don't miss any work. Usually, we just send Edward to collect them at the end of the day we go back, or he gets them at some point in the day since he hates it when we nag him and he doesn't have a mate he's been separated from for several hours. Although, if the rest of our family get their way it looks as though that's about to change.

The school lets out just as we get there. Emmett goes into the office to collect the work and I stay outside, watching as the rest of the student body pile out of the front doors and towards their cars. Watching them pains me; if I had acted like this in my day God only knows what would have happened to me. I would have been a disgrace. How society has changed.

My eyes zero in on Bella just as her floral scent hits me. She's trying to escape to her truck as quickly as possible, but it's not that that particularly grabs my attention. It's her attire. For Forks, it's relatively warm today, so most are in shorts and t-shirts, trying to make the most of it. However Bella is wearing jeans, high top trainers, a jacket and _gloves_ of all things. However, the jacket she is wearing is too small for her, and her wrists are exposed. For a moment I expect to see scars on her wrists, but the glimpse I get s unmarred skin, until it is encased in Mike Newton's hand as he rushes to talk to her.

Bella freezes. Her eyes glass over for less than a second or two. She even seems to stop breathing. She looks like... Alice. _When Alice is having a vision_.

I cock my head to the side slightly as I watch her. To the human eye she simply froze for a second or two, and since she was just grabbed without any warning. However to a vampire I can see the way she froze was not natural; it was as if she was seeing a whole other world. Or a whole other _time_.

Tears well in her eyes. At first I'm angry, because my first conclusion is that Mike has been harassing her to the point of tears, but instead of yanking her arm out from under his hand she simply turns to him. He looks startled, seeing her so upset, and tries to remove his hand, but she actually pulls him into a hug. He looks even more startled, but when she pulls away he grins at her. She doesn't return the smile, but hops into her truck and starts it, driving away.

Half the lot is empty but the time Emmett comes out, and I'm still frozen in the same spot. The humans did stare at me as I looked out at them, but I barely noticed. My mind was still reeling from what I saw. What could that mean? Did I imagine it? No. I didn't imagine it. But was it what I think it is?

"Rosie?" When I look up Emmett looks worried again. "Are you okay?"

"Fine," I reply, with more tension in my tone than I wanted. He flinches slightly, but then nods once his expression clears. What's wrong with him lately?

We begin to walk back to the house, and it's nice and relatively peaceful. However my husband seems sad, but I can't dwell on it now. Clearly Bella is more special than we thought. Her reaction also intrigues me. She began to cry and hugged the Newton boy. Perhaps she saw his death? Perhaps she saw something terrible happen to him? What if she only sees people die?

When we get back to the house Emmett hands everyone work to them. Jasper and Alice take theirs with a little complaint, and when Emmett places Edward's on top of the piano in front of him our younger brother grins slightly. "Thanks," He says lightly, pressing the keys even lighter, creating a soft melody that is clearly unfinished yet still beautiful. "Saves me a job. I'm not sure I could have survived the walk to the office with my terrible head injury and all."

My husband laughs and claps him on the back. "Sorry about that," He apologises. "I didn't know what to say."

Edward simply shrugs, and Emmett goes upstairs. I go to follow him, but Edward stops me. "Rose," He whispers. "Can I talk to you?"

"I don't need another lecture about your happiness, Edward, especially not from you," I reply, continuing towards the stairs.

"It's about Emmett," He says quickly, which makes me stop.

I go back to him, standing next to the piano and keeping my voice hushed, so no one hears. "What about him?"

He doesn't even look up form the keys. "I'm not sure if you meant to do it, but he feels as though you're distancing himself from him and the rest of us. You've been spending a lot of time alone with your thoughts which is worrying both him and Esme. They worry you're thinking too much about your human life again, and that your torturing yourself with the memory of your death and change."

"Of course I'm not doing it on purpose! How could you even think that? And can't you tell them that's not what's happening?"

His jaw tenses, and he presses the keys harder now in his irritation. "_Because, _Rosalie. I don't make it a habit to listen to your _thoughts._ Nor - if I do listen - do I make it a habit to broadcast them to people who haven't even asked. I know you think low of me, but I'm not a complete cad thank you."

With that he slams the lid on the keys down, and storms up to his bedroom. His temper has been shorter lately, which is the last thing we need if he's going to be hanging around Bella all day tomorrow.

Emmett understands when I tell him I have only been worrying about Bella, but I haven't been torturing myself with my past. I _have_ been thinking of my human life, I tell him, but only because we are suddenly so close to having a human with us. It makes me crave that life more than usual, but I _am_ happy here. I am happy with him.

I'm relieved that Edward goes hunting with Carlisle during the night, our father jokingly telling Edward not to hit his head this time as they leave, as we don't need him slaughtering Bella in a room full of children that he would also have to eventually kill. Although when they come back I have to keep my mind decidedly blank. I'm anxious to go to school to see Bella again, and possibly test my theory. Although I'm not sure how I'd do it, but it would be interesting to see.

In complete contrast to the previous sunny weather, it's raining when we get to school. Most of the students are dressed like Bella was yesterday, abandoning their shorts and t-shirts for coats and jeans and boots. I expect that when Bella arrives she won't look any different.

Edward, as usual, stays outside once everyone gets out the car. I get a lot of surprised looks at that, but after a kiss from Emmett the others still make their way inside, watching us curiously. Bella hasn't arrived yet, so we have nothing to do, so we just sort of stand awkwardly by the Volvo. That is, until, Lauren Mallory loses control of her vehicle, and begins to swerve violently towards one Mike Newton. My eyes widen and I stand up straighter. Perhaps this is what Bella saw. Edward glances at me as I think that, but I pay him no mind, as Bella comes tearing into the parking lot, looking as if she has just run from her house screaming "Mike!" as she runs towards him and into the path of Lauren's car. Edward looks as though he is about to run after them, but I hold him back. We do _not_ need a heroic vampire spectacle in the middle of the car park. Although it occurs to me that if Bella's blood is spilled, it might not be a heroic spectacle that everyone sees.

Bella reaches Mike and tackles him, throwing them both violently to the ground. Only seconds later does Lauren's car collide with the car Mike had previously been standing in front of. It seems my suspiciouns are proven correct.

Edward looks as though he is about to faint from relief, even though I know it to be impossible. Bella stands up and brushes herself off, reaching down to help Mike up and manages to escape into the school building just as the crowds close in, adjusting her gloves as she goes.

Keeping my mind blank in this purgatory is harder than I thought it would be. School is easy, and doesn't occupy my mind at all. This is boring. This is boring. This is boring. Hopefully that will throw Edward off. Hopefully. He's probably watching my mind like a hawk after discovering I have suspiciouns about Bella.

Before lunch I decide I need to confront her. The longer I go without thinking about it it's wearing on me. I hate this. So when we're let out for lunch I make my way to Bella's classroom as quickly as possible, having to find my way by scent alone. I manage to get to her just as she comes out, head down and trying to ward off questions about the morning's accident from the children behind. "Come with me," I order, grabbing her by the arm and hauling her towards the girl's toilets. The others behind her look shocked; Bella herself looks terrified. Humans in the halls make way for us as I drag her through them.

When we get to the girl's toilets there are already people in there. "Out!" I shout at them, and they glance at me once before escaping. Wise choice. Once they're gone and I've made sure we're completely alone, and grab Bella by the shoulders and press her up against the wall.

"Can you see the future?"

**Sorry if this wasn't very good. I have a hard time relating to/writing Rosalie. I haven't really done it before. However I have great experience with Carlisle and Edward. Not so much Alice. XD**


End file.
